The Uzumaki Brigade
by Zido the Moon Vulpix
Summary: One fateful night, Naruto watches a meteor shower. As the night progresses, he encounters other-worldly beings that will change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

The Uzumaki Brigade

It was a normal day for Naruto. Sakura was ignoring him while fawning over the Blue Bastard: Sasuke. Iruka was doing paperwork. Choji was eating potato chips while listening to Shikamaru's complains. Everyone who wasn't fawning over Sasuke was talking about the meteor shower tonight… Yup, just a normal d-… a meteor shower? Those were rare in Konoha. _Guess I'll watch it in my special spot behind the Hokage Memorial,_ Naruto thought. It was his little piece of Heaven that no one could touch. He went there for two reasons and two reasons only: to prepare for graduation exams, and to escape the hurtful real world. This would be a great chance to do both.

As night fell, he placed himself upon the ground, and relaxed with his arms acting as pillows, waiting for the shower to begin… Not even a minute later, he sees an orange burst of color fade into view against the black night. Soon, three more joined the first, then two more, and so on until the sky was littered with them. As he watched the beauty of the natural world, he noticed two meteors about to crash into each other. As they collided, one was sent to another direction, and the other split into two separate halves. One piece was getting closer at an alarming rate. When Naruto realized this, he jumped out of the way just as the falling debris landed where he was standing not ten seconds before.

The meteor was quite strange. What Naruto expected was a flaming boulder that would crush all in its path. The thing that was in front of him was nothing of the sort! It had a face that formed as the torso of the object. The top of it (from the forehead to the center of the head) was completely revealed, showing a brain in accurate proportion to the face. When Naruto felt along the surface of the object, smooth metal all around, the "brain" opened up like a hatch, and showed what looked like a cockpit in a plane. It was also a loaded cockpit… When Naruto looked at the being inside, he saw a boy, no older than 18, wearing a blue, trashed jumpsuit and he was unconscious. He pulled the boy out, and checked his vitals to see if he was alive. When Naruto was finally sure the boy lived, he stepped back to investigate the object the boy was in. It had a seat for one, but could probably carry two or three people. On each side were handles, most likely to control the thing. They seemed, squeezable, probably for intense moments. On the control panel was a gray circle with a smaller glowing circle in the center. Must be the ignition or something.

Suddenly, he heard a groan behind him. The boy had woken up, so now was the time to ask questions, or take him to the hospital. Naruto hated his conscious sometimes, it just never let him act out his first thought.

"Hey, are you alright," Naruto asked.

"Uhn… they're coming. Have to…fend them off…until reinforcements…arrive. Urk!" The boy grasped his shoulder in extreme pain.

"Who's coming? What is this thing?" Naruto had so many more questions, but now was not the time, he had to understand what was going on NOW so he could help the boy.

"We don't have time! Take this!"

The boy pulled out a glowing mini-drill on a string, and handed it to Naruto.

"Use this…to pilot…Lagann!"

Naruto stared at the unfamiliar object, confused. "La-gone?"

The boy groaned again, "Hurry, before the Anti-Spirals get here! You must…fight them!"

Naruto looked like he felt, dumb and weak. "The Anti-Whosits?"

Suddenly, two more meteors crashed nearby. They were big as the sky is vast. _Where the hell are the ANBU? They should be here by now!_ Naruto, regaining control of his body, rushed over to the…Lagann was it?.. He jumped into the cockpit, and thrusted the small drill into the hole on the control panel. He twisted it like a key, and the Lagann's "hatch" closed on him. The control panel glowed green, revealing a spiral shaped gauge slightly filled. Naruto gathered it was the energy within the Lagann's system. Three screens appeared on his left, right, and in front of him. The left one had static, so he ignored it. The right one had what looked like a chart of the Lagann's condition, he figured he should keep a close eye on it. The center screen showed the outside directly in front of him. On this screen were two small green spots aimed in the direction of the two meteors. Naruto pulled on the right lever, and the Lagann stood up. The hatch disappeared, and suddenly, he had a 360 degree of his surroundings.

A giant grin spread over Naruto's face,"THIS…IS…AWESOME!"

The boy moaned in pain, he said, "Looks like you have Spiral Power after all…Good."

Naruto forgot all about him, but now he only cared about helping this strange person with a fighting robot." Hey, we need to get you to a hospital. How fast is this thing?"

The boy buckled," Uhn!.. Not very fast at all. Besides, if we don't take care of those, there won't be a hospital to go to."

He pointed in the direction of the meteors, and as Naruto turned, he regretted getting into the Lagann at all. Standing (or actually hovering) between the trees was a foot and a hand with faces on them. They were easily five times his size, and they scared the crap out of him like he had diarrhea.

"I-I-I…I have to f-fight those th-things?" Naruto stammered.

Suddenly, the hand raced over to Naruto, and grabbed him like a toy, lifting him into the air. The face stared at him, piercing his soul. Naruto, without thinking, pulled both levers back, extending a drill from the Lagann's forehead…into the face of the machine-hand-thing. Naruto, who was let go, fell to the ground and watched as the hand-thing exploded.

"…YEAH! WHO'S NEXT?" Naruto cheered.

Things were just like in a Western movie, a long stare-down between the hero and the villain.

"You Spirals will never change! You refuse to embrace the fact that you will kill yourselves in the end, as well as the universe!"

"Hmph! You damn Anti-Spirals refuse to accept the fact that we may still find a way around that while continuing to evolve!"

The boy's shout out in protest catched the foot off-guard, giving Naruto the chance he needed to strike the foot. Naruto charged forward…and he tripped in a pathetic way. Everyone was motionless, even the foot.

"Cmon, get up!" Naruto yelled.

Naruto yanked back the levers as hard as he could, and willed the Lagann into action.

"Oooookay then….Let's try again!"

The drill was aimed directly at the face, on contact the foot would explode. If the foot was retarded enough to just stand there and become easy prey. The foot dodged, and Naruto tripped again.

"Dammit! Cmon you piece of shit! WORK!" Naruto yelled at the Lagann, then he kicked it.

"HEY ASSHOLE! DON'T BLAME LAGANN! IT'S THE PILOT'S FAULT," shouted the boy.

"WHATEVER!"

"HEHEHEHEHEHEH! The boy cannot even pilot the Spiral's Core Gunman! And the owner is too injured to resist! Has the battle with Anti-Lord 2 left you so useless that the "Great Gurren Brigade's" leader cannot fend for himself? Then this will be easy!"

"Well, I'm pretty much screwed then aren't I?"

"Indeed!"

Suddenly a massive flow of energy surged forward from the direction of the Lagann.

"NO…..YOUR…..NOT!" shouted an infuriated Naruto.

The spiral gauge rapidly filled to a point where it looked like it would overflow. The Lagann released two more drills from its hands and dashed toward the foot with blurring speed. All three drills pierced the face before the entity could even react. It exploded into many a piece, leaving nary a trace. Naruto paused to catch his breath; he had never released so much chakra before. He shut off the Lagann and stepped out, handing the key to the boy.

"Well, that was fun," said Naruto.

"It gets worse as you go alo-UGH!" cried the boy as a sharp pain arced through his arm.

"We need to get you to a hospital! If I carry you, I should be able to dash throught the trees fast enough to make it in a few minutes."

"Urk…Fine!'

"By the way, my name's Naruto. What's yours?"

"Just call me Gimmy. Uhn…let's hurry. I think I have internal bleeding."

"You also shat yourself when you landed apparently."

"…..*sigh* Great."

About a mile away deeper in the forest, another meteor had landed. As the smoke cleared, an 19-year old girl covered in a pink, tattered jumpsuit climbs out of the cockpit.

"Uhn!…What planet is this?"

She looked around, surprised to see that it looked like Earth, even though Earth was light-years away. She took a few steps away from the wreckage to observe the damage.

"Great, just my luck…Gurren is banged up, Gimmy is missing, and I have no idead where I am…"

She stepped back into the cockpit, and started looking through the debris. After coming across a small scanner-like object no bigger than a pocket watch, she stepped away and activated it.

"Least the Spiral Sensor is intact. Now I can find Gimii. Better grab my Spiral Sniper too."

With gun in hand and a way to find Gimii, the mysterious girl heads into the forest…


	2. Chapter 2

The Uzumaki Brigade

Things were strange in Konoha tonight. People were in a frenzy, ANBU were rushing towards smoke in the Uchiha District, Ichiraku's Ramen Stand was closed…Wait. What? It must be serious if old man Ichiraku and Ayame closed shop three hours early!

"Things have really gone to hell in a basket in town," said Naruto.

"It's not always like this? New Kamina town is like this every few weeks, because of the Anti-Spirals," said Gimmy." Then or on tater-tot Tuesdays when beast-men enter town the first time.

"It looks like a meteor hit Konoha."

Naruto looked towards the smoke. The Uchihas were the most powerful (and the most doushe-like) clan in the village, thanks to their Sharin-whatever it was. Every one of them thought they were better than the whole village. Naruto wanted one really badly though. He felt that if he had one, he could graduate without the slightest difficulty.

As they approached the hospital, they noticed people were being rushed in by the wagon-full. Each person, an Uchiha…

_I'm gonna have to play it sly or the doctors might not even consider looking at Gimmy. Dammit! I HATE trivialities! Always so…trivial._

They noticed a doctor just finish with a patient. Naruto picked up Gimmy, who winced in pain, perfect for what Naruto had in mind. He rushed over to the doctor before the man went to another patient.

"Doctor, Doctor! My friend is injured and I'm afraid he will die if he isn't treated soon!"

The man looked at the boy in orange, then the boy in blue. He hated his job so much, and tonight was his final day. He was going to take it easy, have a few beers, maybe bang a nurse in the supply closet, then retire and live life easy until he died in the next 35.7 years.

"*sigh* God, I hate ninjas! Is he an Uchiha?"

"Ummm…Yes?" Said the orange menace.

"Get him to a room and I'll send someone up. I think there is a clean empty room on the 3rd floor."

"Thank you doctor!" said the boy.

After 6 flights of stairs and weaving through a crowd of people, an exhausted Naruto finally found an empty room for Gimmy. They waited for a few minutes, saying nothing. When a doctor never came, they began discussing their homes, their lives, their ambitions, and the like. About thirty minutes later, a doctor came in saying that he needed to give Gimmy an x-ray. He wheeled Gimmy out of the room, returning him ten minutes later. They continued to talk, then after another ten minutes, another, more ANNOYING doctor came in.

"TIME TO RIP OUT YOUR APPENDIX! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Try next door, doushe-bag," yelled Naruto.

"I'm just kidding Naruto, Other Guy, take it easy...And don't look so scared Other Guy!"

_Strike One…_ This guy miffed Naruto off in so many ways.

"Honestly though Naruto, I'm surprised you made an Uchiha friend. Either he's retarded of you got really strong, because they don't hang out with weaklings normally."

_Strike TWO!_ Every time Naruto came to this hospital for medical assistance, he got the same, asshole of a doctor. The guy couldn't go ten seconds without dissing Naruto in some way! It was all Naruto could do to not knock his skull into his ass.

"Well your vitals are fine, you have no internal bleeding, and the worse is already done. You'll be out in a few hours…Lucky you."

_Strike THR-…Wait. What? No insult to top it off? ASS!_

"Doctor, you said 'lucky me'. What happened to the other Uchihas?"

"…Unfortunately, besides you, only Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Itachi are alive…I'm sorry, but your entire clan is dead son." He walks out the door with a defeated look on his face.

"…Naruto, are there any resurrection jutsus in Konoha?"

The orange clothed boy looked thoughtful for a moment, then frowned hard and spoke slowly.

"There is one…but it's forbidden and locked in the deepest part of Hokage Tower. It's an un-ethical jutsu."

"Listen Naruto…I need you… To steal me that scroll. I have to bring them back! I have to!"

"Gimmy, you're asking me to break into the most tightly guarded building, and steal this country's most important document featuring all kinds of jutsus, which in another country's hands, could kill all of us. That being said,… IT'S A FEDERAL CRIME! You're asking me to do something for people I hate with the utmost passion, people that you don't even know."

"Naruto, it's not for the Uchihas. It's for…."

"Who Gimmy? WHO," shouted Naruto. "Who is so important that you need to bring back to life, that I need to risk myself, so that these people can breathe again? WHO?"

"He wants to revive the comrades we lost in the first Spiral War."

Both boys turned towards the voice. Standing in the doorway, was a 19-year old girl wearing a pink jumpsuit which was tattered like Gimmy's.

"Isn't that right, Gimmy?"

"D-Darry! What are you doing here?"

"I crashed about a mile from the village, when I came to, Gurren was trashed, you were gone, and I couldn't contact anyone. If not for the Spiral Gauge, I wouldn't have found your little battle site where you killed those Anti-Spiral bastards! You really used a lot of Spiral Power out there. Over 3 times your normal amount."

"Ummm…Darry? That was Naruto who defeated them. I was too injured so I let him fend them off."

Darry looked like she would either kiss Naruto of slap him. When nothing happened after a few seconds, he spoke up.

"Um, Gimmy, who is this? What are you guys talking about?"

"Naruto, this is Darry. She and I were orphans until we found the Gurren Brigade."

"Yes, and thank you for saving Gimmy, Naruto." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and he blushed lightly.

"Well uhhh… No problem! I couldn't let him die. That would be just cruel!"

"As a thank –you gift, would you like Lagann?"

"But-Doesn't Lagann belong to Gimmy? I can't just take that from him!

"You see Naruto, more than one Lagann exist in the universe. At Headquarters, we can order one to be shipped to anywhere in the universe. As it stands now, you have more spiral power than Gimmy, who is our current Supreme Commander. As his Lieutenant, I have special clearance and can pretty much get my way."

"But aren't you a woman? You can get anything you want anyway just by asking for it right?"

"…So? This just….reinforces the odds of me getting UP!"

Naruto and Gimmy cringed at the sudden outburst from Darry.

"Anyways…..before we can get you a Lagann, we need to take care of something.

"Darry, you mean…"

"Yes I do Gimmy…Naruto, do you have anyone close to you?"

Naruto adopted his thoughtful look for a moment, then spoke to the orphans.

"No family, no friends, I only have Iruka-sensei. But, he's ALWAYS busy!"

Suddenly a timid voice spoke from the doorway.

"N-Not t-t-true Naruto…"

Standing within the door frame was everyone's favorite purple-haired girl,HINATA!

"H-Hinata, what are you doing here," said Naruto with a quizzical look on his face.

"N-Naruto, I will h-help you g-get Lagann if y-you w-want…" said the timid girl.

Darry at this time was debating about what to do to the quiet girl. Should she be grateful that someone can help Naruto, or attack her for listening in on the conversation? Well, this was a town of ninjas, it was expected to have unwanted ears around them, so she decided to go with the first choice.

"Hinata, how long have you been listening to our conversation?"

"W-Well Naruto, I've been k-keeping tabs on y-you since you left the a-academy."

Hinata blushed and pressed her index fingers together.

"Hmmmm…"said Darry.

"Darry, are you thinking that…" was all that Gimmy said.

"Indeed Gimmy. Hinata, Naruto, meet us on the roof when you are ready."

With that said, Gimmy and Darry dashed off, leaving Naruto and Hinata to guess what the hell they had in store for the two of them. Naruto stood there, scratching the back of his head. Hinata stared at her feet, the blush on her face plain as day. Finally, after a few minutes of nothing, Naruto spoke up.

"So uh, are you some kind of stalker?"

"EEP!" Hinata blushed a red so deep, a lake of blood would have been more shallow.

"I kid, I kid, Hinata…Sorry. But uh, I guess this make you my first friend though, huh, Hinata?" said the boy with an interested look on his face.

Hinata held the blush, but it was now only a bright pink.

"W-W-We should g-g-g-go n-now. Gimmy a-and Darry are w-waiting."

As they walked down the halls, they each had unique thoughts flashing though their heads.

_I finally did it! Not only did I talk to him, but I'm his first friend! The only thing that could make this day even better is if he wanted me to marry him!_

Hinata let out a squeak of joy and embarrassment at this thought. Naruto did not notice this though, as his thoughts had him preoccupied.

_YES! My first friend, and it's a girl too! A cute one at that…I wonder what Gimmy and Darry have planned?_

As they approached the roof, they noticed Lagann (believed to be back at the fighting area) behind the other-worlders. In bother of their hands was a rope pulsing green light.

"Okay you two," said Darry "You guys are going to perform a bonding ritual allowing you to become partners.

"P-PARTNERS!" cried a surprised Naruto.

"Easy Naruto, not like that." said Gimmy " Just working partners."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief, while Hinata looked like a train hit her. Darry empathized with her, as the ones they were in love with were completely ignorant of the girl's feelings. Despite how OBVIOUS they made it.

"Both of you," said Gimmy " pull out a kunai and tie the rope to the end, then switch kunai with each other."

When this was done, Darry picked up for him.

" Now both of you must stab yourselves."

"W-WHAT?"

"That is how the M.I.L.F works Naruto."

"M-M.I.L.F?" cried a surprised Hinata.

"Hahahaha! We get that look every time we say that huh Darry?" said Gimmy between breaths.

"It's actually called the Mental Intervention Laser Force. It forces the users into a single mind frame. Perfect for training, rituals, and the like. You two will see each other's mind and be able to open the other's power link, allowing you guys to fuse gunmen. We have to do this so we can determine who should be your mentor, as well as your Gunmen types."

"Gunmen?" said Naruto.

"Lagann is a gunman."

"Oh…Does it hurt?"

Gimmy spoke up, "No, but you will be tired for 24 hours. Be fast and you will lose less energy."

"B-But exams are tomorrow!" said Hinata.

"It's okay Hinata, we'll pass even with little energy."

"O-Okay Naruto."

The last thing Naruto saw was Hinata falling to the floor…


	3. Chapter 3

The Uzumaki Brigade

Things could NOT have been more fucked up anywhere in the Universe as they were here. Everything was one big hallway with a few paths on each side. The floor was unseen as the hallway was flooded. On the left side, Naruto's side, things had a dark, prison-looking theme. In each cell along the hall was a glowing red light of different sizes. Naruto assumed that the lights were his memories and the size of each one indicated how much he cherished it. On the right side, Hinata's side, the hall had a more homey theme. The walls were colored a beautiful bluish-gray, and in place of cells were traditional paper doors from which an orange glow emanated from some, while others glowed white as snow.

One glowed an extremely bright orange, and this intrigued Naruto. What memory could Hinata have that she cherished so strongly? He walked over to the paper door followed by Hinata. She had a slight idea of what was going on, but she had NO idea what this place was. Had she known, she would have stopped Naruto out of embarrassment. But when he was about to open the door, a violent electrical charge coursed through his body, sending his mind reeling and his body to the ground.

"N-NARUTO-KUN! Are you okay?" cried an extremely worried Hinata.

"I'm-I'm fine, but DAMN that hurt like hell. That stung worse than the time Mizuki-sensei used me to demonstrate how much a kunai can hurt."

"Okay class, today I'm going to teach you about kunai. These knives are the main ninja tool and have many uses. But today I'm going to do something different. No notes today, but instead a demonstration." said Mizuki with a glint in his eye.

The class cheered, especially Naruto and Kiba. They hated taking notes and could never make heads or tails of their own work. The class loved and trusted Mizuki, so when Naruto was called up, they all glared at him, making him feel like even more of an outcast.

"Naruto, close your eyes…Good. Now class, pay close attention as this will be the point of the lesson."

Naruto was a bit concerned with what might happen, but like everyone else he liked Mizuki and trusted him. When Naruto heard the air being sliced and felt a sharp pain on his right cheek, he cried out in pain. He stepped back and pressed his hand to the area where the pain lingered. He felt something warm and goo-ey on his hand, so he pulled it back and saw the crimson red of his blood trickle down his hand.

"AHHHH! HELP I'M BLEEDING!" cried Naruto.

The class up until this point was silent. When Naruto screamed, they started to as well. Naruto looked at Mizuki who had an evil glint in his eye. Three seconds later, Mizuki was on the ground with a nose-bleed and Iruka-sensei was holding Naruto. A strange man with spiky-white hair and an orange book was standing over Mizuki. Iruka carried Naruto to the infirmary where his wound was cleaned, and he learned it would become a scar. It was a small ugly slash on his face, under his right eye.

That night in his room, Naruto was contemplating what had happened. Mizuki had attacked him he gathered, but why? It made no sense to Naruto no matter how he looked at it. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized the mark hurt and made him feel off balance. Naruto got an idea and snuck out of his room into the main hallway of the Hokage Tower. He crept over to the Armory down the hall and entered the pass code to get into the vault. He grabbed one kunai from the back, a dusty one, and marked it with his insignia, a spiral. He snuck back into his room and went into the bathroom. He slowly and carefully marked two more lines below the first scar with the kunai. Then he made three more on the left side of his face to even it out. He placed a few bandages over the marks and went to bed, his face sore as hell.

The next morning at school, everyone, including Iruka, was surprised to see Naruto with six slash marks on his face, three under each eye. Mizuki was nowhere to be found for two weeks after the incident. Every student assumed it was Naruto's fault and they hated him even MORE than they ever had.

After the events on that day, Naruto has been trying to repress the memory. To this day, he feels a hesitation towards Mizuki, but he doesn't know why.

Suddenly from out of nowhere, came the echo of Darry's voice, "Naruto, Hinata, don't try to enter the others memories without the owner's consent! You'll be violently shocked if you try!"

"C-Could have told me earlier, bitch," Naruto said under his breath.

Suddenly Naruto felt a weaker stinging sensation and a hand print on his right cheek.

"OW!" he cried out in pain.

"DON'T…call me a bitch," was Darry's retort.

Then Gimmy's voice entered the hallway.

"Anyways, start checking hallways for signs of your personality. We'll monitor what you find and decide your mentors as well as your Gunmen types. Also, if you come across an animal somewhere along the way, try to make contact with it somehow. It will become your spirit animal and provide guidance throughout your life.

Naruto was curious about this…spirit animal…but he had to find things in his mind so Gimmy and Darry could get him a mentor and he could not only be a ninja, but also an Intergalactic Police Officer. He wanted this almost as badly as he wanted Sakura to like him. (At her spot beside the Blue Bastard Sasuke, Sakura sneezed into his hair. H looked at her with a glare that could kill Orochimaru in seconds)

With a goal in mind (no pun intended) and no clue what they were looking for, the duo set off down the hallway that seemed to never end. After ten minutes had passed Hinata finally spoke up.

"Naruto-kun, let's check that red pulsing hallway. It's-It's calling me…"

Hinata pointed to a small open doorway in the wall on the prison side. He shrugged and started walking down the path, Hinata close behind him. They walked for what seemed like hours (it was only thirty minutes) until they saw a light at the end of the tunnel (not intended). They rushed towards it, the light glowing brighter and pulsing faster with each step they took towards it. When they finally reached the end of the passage and stepped through the GIANT door, they each gasped in surprise at the sight on the other end of the room.

Fifty feet away from the pair was a massive cage the size of a football stadium. Inside the cage was what really startled them though. Thrashing about in it's prison, roaring with a massive Killing Intent strong enough to crush the two humans that were the first signs of life since it's capture, was a giant, nine-tailed fox.

"N-Naruto-kun, is this y-your spirit a-animal?"

"I-I-I…I think so Hinata…But what is the Legendary Nine-Tailed Fox doing inside my mind?"

"Don't you remember our lessons in class? The Fourth Hokage sealed the Fox Demon in an infant long ago. This would also explain why people treat you with such contempt in the village." Hinata said beginning to ramble to herself.

"_ARG! LET ME OUT YOU WORTHLESS PILES OF FLESH! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!"_

Naruto let all the information sink in for a few moments, he let his head fall, his shoulder shaking heavily. Hinata noticed this and grew a worried look on her face. She put her hands on his arms and tried to hold him, to calm him down. She knew what would happen if he didn't relax. Then Naruto spoke with a voice that could kill the undead.

"You…BASTARD!…I'M...GOING…TO FUCKING…RAPE YOU!"

The outburst made both Hinata and the Fox cringe. Naruto crouched down into a fighting stance, and he dashed at the Demon Fox, fists ready to pummel the beast into a bloody pulp. But before Naruto could even land a single blow, the Fox recovered and swiped at him with a paw from inside the cage. Naruto was sent flying back to where he started. He landed with a crash and skidded along the tiled floor to Hinata's feet. When she saw her hopefully-future-boyfriend in pain, something went off in her mind, and she snapped. She charged at Nine-Tails with murder in her eyes, her KI was enough to make Zabuza flee. Her chakra was easily 8 times the amount she normally released, and her Byakugan activated for the first time. She saw everything within a 360* radius around her except for an area around her upper-back. She saw all of the Fox's chakra points, and she was going to seal each and every one of them.

The Fox swiped at her, but she jumped and pressed five points on the paw. Before she could land though, the other paw attempted to attack her as well. She forced chakra into her hands and punched hard into the oncoming paw. Her hands ripped through the pad and flesh all the way to the bone. The Demon Fox screamed in agony and lashed out with his tails. Three of them tackled Hinata to the ground and proceeded to pound on her. Naruto watched, unable to move, as his friend and teammate was ruthlessly smacked around by Nine-tails. He knew they were fighting a losing battle, and that they wouldn't last long at this rate. Naruto wished he hadn't attacked the Fox. He wished he hadn't brought Hinata into this…And he wished he hadn't helped Gimmy when he crashed with…

"Uhn…Uhn! I…I have to…help Hinata!*Cough*…But…I can't move…AHHHHG! I WISH I HAD LAGANN!"

Suddenly, the whole room began to shake violently. Nine-Tails stopped beating on Hinata, giving her ample time to press a chakra point on each of the Fox's tails and disable them. She shadow stepped before it could react and got beside Naruto.

"_WHAT IS GOING ON? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE BOY? TELL ME!"_

The room began to glow green to the point where everyone was blinded. There was a loud screeching sound, and everything suddenly stopped. Naruto opened his eyes to see in front of him was Lagann. Hinata gasped as she regained her vision to see the gunman that was not there moments ago. Nine-Tails didn't seem to care about the new object in the room at all. It just wanted to inflict pain upon the two humans.

"_BOY! RELEASE ME NOW OR I WILL KILL YOU!"_

"Would've killed us anyway even if we didn't release you! But tell you what," Naruto picked up Hinata (who blushed at this and the thought going through her head) and hopped into the cockpit. " I'm feeling generous today so I'll release you and THEN kill you. Because no one, and I mean NO ONE, hurts my friends and gets away with it!"

He twisted the key in the ignition and activated the Lagann, then he pulled the levers and released the drills from the Lagann's hands. Hinata could not belive what was happening right now. It might have been the fact that she was fighting the Legendary Nine-Tailed Fox, finally releasing the Byakugan, or the fact that she was sitting in Naruto's lap, still blushing, with her hands around his neck with a perverse thought going through her head.

…Yup…definitely the last one.

"Listen you FUCKING PRICK! You belong to me now, got that. This is my mind and I will NOT hesitate to murder you with all of my power! If you EVER lay a paw on Hinata…Let my put it in terms you can understand…IMA RAPE YA BITCH!" Naruto said the last part in a deep voice that made him sound hilarious to Hinata, who bust out laughing so hard, she had to clutch her side to lessen the pain.

"_VERY WELL THEN. RELEASE ME AND WE SHALL WORK TOGETHER…BESIDES, ALL I HAVE TO DO IN THIS HELL-HOLE IS MENTALLY TALK TO A DISMEMBERED PIRATE NAMED BOJACK, A SLICED UP DRAGON NAMED VOLVAGIA, AND A CRIPPLED GERMAN POTATO IN THE CORNER OF MY CELL. I CALL HIM CHUCK. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND A DAMN WORD HE SAYS, BUT IT"S FUNNY AS HELL!"_

Naruto was wondering about what the hell the Fox was talking about when he remembered to release the Demon. He walked Lagann over to the seal on the door of the cage and was about to remove it when a voice spoke up out of nowhere.

"Don't remove that seal my son! He is just tricking you."

Naruto turned towards the voice to find a blonde-haired man that looked very familiar. Hinata saw him and gasped.

"Oh-Oh my! Fourth Hokage-sama, this is an honor!"

Naruto came to his senses and got out of Lagann. He walked over the dead Hokage.

"Son, it is good to see you. I'm sure you have much to ay to me but now we mu-"

Naruto picked that exact moment to punch the guy that claimed to be his father. He wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp and then some, but his conscious said one great slug to the face was all he needed to vent his frustration…Damn conscious! As Hinata climbed out and walked over to Naruto with a scared look on her face, the Blonde Bastard (Naruto's new name for the guy) rose to his feet and laughed like he just heard a good joke, even though his nose was bleeding like shit.

"Hahahahaha! You have your mother's temper and both of our strength! I'm proud to be your father Naruto!"

"N-Naruto-kun, this man is your father? You are the son of the Fourth Hokage?"

"PREVIOUS Fourth Hokage. I'm dead now missy. I'm just a figment of my personality and memory sealed inside Naruto's mind in case he ever tried to release the Fox. I'll fade away when Naruto leaves. By the way girlie, who are you? You have a cute face so maybe his girlfriend?"

Hinata blushed a deep red at this comment.. The Fourth walked over to Naruto and whispered in his ear.

" Are you a player like your old man, son? Good job! You sure know how to pick them."

At this Naruto blushed and looked at his feet. The dead Hokage laughed and walked back to where he was before.

"_DAMMIT UZUMAKI, WHY DO YOU always SPOIL MY PLANS? IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT I LOSE TO YOU AT POKER EVERY TIME WE PLAY ON MONDAY!"_

"Oh shut it muzzle-mouth! What plans besides this one could you possibly enact? Now let me talk to my son before I Rasengan your face again!"

At this threat, the "Fox Demon" shrank back into a corner where a potato was laying. He started whispering to it, creating an akward moment for everyone in the room, including the potato.

"Listen son, we don't have much time so I'm going to tell you now, DON'T RELEASE THE FOX DEMON! Even with Lagann, you have no chance against him…And yes I know about Lagann. Just because I'm part of your mind doesn't mean I can't see your life from the inside. Now I have to go son, take good care of this girl. I sense she will play an important role in your life…Good-bye son."

He gave Naruto a hug and walked into the darkness. Naruto felt he would meet him again one day, but he hoped it wasn't soon. That guy was almost as much of an ass as the doctor that always tormented Naruto.

"…Hinata, stand back. I'm going to release the Fox and I don't want you to get caught up in it."

"B-But Naruto-kun…"

"Please Hinata, I have to do this… "

She walked over to the door hesitantly, wanting to be with him the whole way. He stepped up to the cage and grabbed the seal. ..Then he got smart and stopped. He walked over to Lagann, and climbed in. He willed the Lagann into action and pierced the seal with a drill, tearing it to shreds. As the cage opened, the Fox realized this and stopped whispering to the potato named Chuck. It dashed out of the door and swiftly lashed a claw down onto Naruto. Being pinned to the ground by a half ton fox demon makes it hard to do anything, but Naruto got an idea, and rapidly pulled the levers backward, extending the drill from Lagann's forehead. This was the exact same paw that Hinata punched through earlier. In the exact same spot was where the drill pierced. The Fox howled in pain but did not release his prisoner.

"_ARRRRRGH! THAT'S IT…CHUCK! ATTACK!"_

Naruto got a stupid look on his face as he looked over to the potato. After nothing happened for a few moments, Naruto looked back at the Fox with a confused look. If the Demon Fox could have facial expressions, it would be sneering right now. Naruto heard a sound coming from the corner of the cell and when he looked over, he gasped.

The potato was growing claws and masculine legs. It stood up while it continued to grow, a mouth now forming on it's…face? When it finally stopped growing, it was ten feet tall and extremely dangerous looking. It had the deepest voice known to man, and when it talked, Naruto could barely keep himself from laughing his ass off.

"**Ich haben ein sehr Klein Problem mit du zwei! **(I have a small problem with you two)" said Chuck.

"…"Naruto

"…"Hinata

It lunged at Hinata, and without thinking, Naruto lept from Lagann, and pushed Hinata out of the way of Chuck's deadly…claw? She fell onto something soft…and yellow. She looked and it was a rabbit.

"Ow missy! You know, it's not very lady-like to land on somebody…That won't inpress my son. But if you were to land in his arms you might get him…"

"Fourth?

"You two are still not ready for Nine-Tails. Guess I have to save you, huh?""

The Hokage rabbit started to glow, then he emitted a large amount of light from his body. When chuck's claw was almost upon him, Naruto's vision went white …


	4. Chapter 4

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto sat up and inhaled sharply, "OH MY FUCKING GOD!"

Gimmy walked over to him carrying a wet rag. "Naruto, are you okay? That claw was literally inches from your face. If we'd pulled you out even a single second later, you'd probably be dead."

Naruto stood up and grabbed the rag from Gimmy. As he washed his face, now beaded in sweat, Hinata walked over to him with a blush on her face.

"Naruto-kun…Thank you for saving me…"

"No problem Hinata! I'd never let anything happen to you!" Naruto scratched the back of his head and blushed lightly.

At this comment, Hinata blushed a super deep red and stared at her feet. Naruto was curious why she always did that when he said something nice to her. Well, she IS a timid person. Maybe just being shy or something?

Darry looked at the two ninjas with jealousy in her eyes.

_Those two make the perfect pair…Just like me and Gimmy would…Why the FUCK can't he see that I like him so much? I make it plain as day, going to great lengths just to embarrass myself. Are guys just naturally blind to a woman's love?_

Darry smacked Gimmy upside the head out of anger and Naruto out of jealousy and how blind he was.

"OW!" they said in unison.

"C'mon Hinata, let's go for a walk. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you…in private."

She said the last part like it was a warning. Naruto had a feeling that he shouldn't follow them or Darry might… What the hell could she do to him, a ninja? But his conscious told him to not follow them. Damn conscious! Yet as they walked away, he watched as Hinata walked down the stairs and out of sight, wishing he could go with her. He had no clue why, but he just wanted to be in her presence. He'd think about this feeling of loneliness later. He wanted to talk with Gimmy about his mentor.

"Hey Gimmy, now that I've explored my mind, can I find out who my mentor is? Have you even decided?"

"Don't worry Naruto, we're working on Hinata's mentor right now. We already decided on yours…but we're not going to tell you yet until they arrive in Konoha…Don't look so depressed man. We can tell you how to summon your spirit animal though. It's kind of a test to see how much control you have over your Spiral Power, or chakra as you call it on this world."

"…I don't think I will EVER summon that…THING! It tried to kill me and Hinata! I want nothing to do with it!"

"…Naruto, it won't be full sized. It'll be about the size of your hand and can't cause any damage. The only thing it can do is give advice and provide you with Spir-…chakra."

"…FINE! But I won't be happy about it…"

"Just hold an image of your spirit animal in your head and call it by name. The name can be whatever you want it to be, and your guide will adapt that name and heed your call. Let me show you mine."

Gimmy took three steps back and made a hand-sign Naruto had never seen. His right hand was cupped on his left fore-arm, and his left hand was flat with the palm facing up.

"Boundless soul in immaculate harmony, answer my prayers and reveal your-self! Ikeza-Nara!"

A small ball of blue light faded into view over Gimmy's open hand. It grew a few inches in size and began to take form. When it finished growing, the ball of light uncurled and the glow faded from it's body. Now standing in Gimmy's hand was a blue mouse. It stood on it's back legs and waved to Naruto, who stared back, completely dumb-founded. The thing that REALLY got Naruto was when it talked to him.

"…Hey dawg, it's rude to stare. Put your eyes back in your head and close your mouth before flies nest in it. Now my name is Ikeza-Nara, but you can call me Ike…Please, I hate Ikeza. Now let me give both of you some advice. You two…are complete, ignorant, DUMB-ASSES!"

This caught the boys off guard and they cringed for a second. When they recovered, Ike continued.

"You boy," he pointed at Naruto," are a complete loser, cause you have no skill whatsoever! Get some training done and then you and I will talk…Gimms, (his nickname for Gimmy) you don't realize this, but you have an admirer. She has liked you forever and made it plain as day that she likes you. ARE YOU DAFT MAN?"

"Really Ike? But I haven't seen any signs…Who is it?"

"…I'm not even gonna bother telling you. Figure it out yourself dawg! Until you do, I ain't a helpin ya!"

Ike curled into a ball again and jumped in the air. With a puff of smoke, he vanished leaving the boys to think about what he said. Three minutes went by before Naruto broke the ice.

"…You called him Ikeza-Nara? Why?"

"That was his real name when I found him on my trip into my mind with Darry."

"Oh… Let's go get some ramen. I'm hungry!"

"R-Ramen?"

"You'll see. It's really good. Tastes even better after you've worked really hard."

They started down the stairs, and outside the hospital, standing in front of them, was Iruka

"NARUTOOOOO!" cried Iruka. Naruto cringed at this and wished he could run away. Before he got the chance though, Iruka grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"Where the HELL have you been? Just because the town is more screwed up than the inside of Anko's head, doesn't mean you get to skip out on your detention chores! Now instead of two chores, you have four! You will clean the toilets, sweep the classroom, file my taxes, and feed Dung, the retarded chimpanzee his oats!"

"…How the hell do I file taxes? I'm only 13!" cried Naruto.

"Fine then, I'll teach you how. But only one and then you're on your own! Also, I expect Dung to be well-fed. He doesn't want to eat nowadays, so put some candy in the middle, but let him see it so he knows it is there. He'll eat all of it for the candy…damn monkey."

Gimmy looked at this guy Naruto called "sensei". Naruto said he was close to him, but Gimmy didn't see it at all. In fact, all Gimmy saw was an ass-hole of a man. He looked on as Iruka set Naruto down, who scratched the back of his head and looked like he would kill someone who set him off. Gimmy decided to sneak away before he got involved in this. He turned around and tip-toed a few steps before…

"Hey Gimmy, will you help me with my work? I'll clean the toilets if you sweep the classroom!"

…SHIT!

"Uhhh, sure Naruto! I'll sweep the classroom," Gimmy said. Then he whispered under his breath,"Bastard."

They started off towards the school, Naruto in lead with his hands behind his head as he walked, like it was just an easy, care-free day. They walked for about ten minutes, taking a numerous amount of turns that got Gimmy so confused, he had no idea which way was North, South, East, or West at all. When they finally arrived at the school, they got an unexpected surprise…Both Darry and Hinata were talking under a tree with a swing tied to a branch!

"Okay Hinata, don't say I didn't warn you. But when he breaks your heart, don't come crying to me. He is almost as dumb as-" That was when she noticed Naruto and Gimmy. "What the hell are you two doing here? I thought I said we wanted to talk in PRIVATE!"

"Um…Darry. Naruto actually has chores here to do now and he was on his way to do them. Iruka, our teacher, said he had detention and must do chores. Naruto snuck out to watch a meteor shower and found Gimmy by accident when he landed. Iruka must have found Naruto and sent him over here to work in the dark."

Gimmy stared at Naruto, completely dumb-founded. "…She's good."

"…FINE! I was done talking to you anyway Hinata. Now can you tell me where I can find a hotel for me and Gimmy? We need to sleep and contact HQ so your mentors and gunmen can be sent out."

Hinata gave her directions and she stomped out of there. She was upset about something, Naruto gathered, but he had no idea what for, and why it was directed towards Hinata. She was always so kind, so it made no sense why Darry snapped at her. Hinata walked up to Naruto, a slight blush in her cheeks, he noticed, and she offered to help with the chores.

"Nah Hinata, you don't have to help me. But I 'preciate the offer. You go ahead and rest up for exams tomorrow. Me and Gimmy will take care of the chores, and then we'll get some sleep."

She walked away with her head down, like she was disappointed not to help Naruto. They began the chores and divided up the tasks evenly. Naruto got the disgusting chores; Gimmy got the hard ones…Simple. When they finished, they said good-bye for the night, and parted ways.

_Damn I'm tired._ _Why the hell did I put that cherry bomb in the toilet?…Oh, right. Blue Bastard uses that same toilet at that same time very day. Hehehe…I love my life. But shit, I need to get some soldier pills to recover my chakra, or I'll never pass that exam. Now I just need to find a store that is still open at 3:00 am in the morning._

Naruto walked around for thirty minutes looking for a twenty-four hour pharmacy. He might have found one sooner, had he not forgotten he spray painted every neon sign with "pharmacy" on it. If the cashier sold him meds at a ridiculous price, Naruto took tar from his landowner's basement, wood shavings from the woodworker's shed, and one crushed up soldier pill, and mix it all together. He called it doushe-glue. Then Naruto broke into his house, and poured it all over the cashier's body in his sleep. He'd have many useful hate objects with him, and visibly destroy the man. The guy would wake up covered in feathers, piss, orange stripes across his body, a "I'm a pussy" sing on his chest, and a "kick me" sign on his back. If he made contact with anything, it would stick to him like a fly to shit. He'd get so pissed, the guy would quit his job and the owner would close shop for a few weeks. Naruto would then spray black paint over the sign as a way of leaving his mark.

After Naruto finally found one that was still open, he paid the money (also priced too high, so Naruto made a mental note to doushe-fuck with this store too) and went home. He forced himself to sleep for the next two hours, so when his alarm went off, Naruto nearly crushed the thing with anger-ridden strength. He forced his sore legs out of bed and proceeded to his ramen cabinet. He opened it to find the shelf was empty, to his heart's despair. He went to his secret cabinet behind the wall of his fridge, and pulled out a mini ramen cup. He made a mental note to fill up the secret cabinet with more ramen cups. He looked at his clock and nearly lost his ramen all over the floor.

_4:21 am? I have 9 minutes to get to class or I'll be locked out again and fail the test!_

Naruto dashed out the door with his ramen still cold and slurped the cold, sort-of delicious juice from the cup. He gulped down the noodles in a instant and tossed the cup into a trash bin along the path to the academy. He suddenly realized that he was at the Hyuuga district, and decided to see if Hinata was home. Wait, Hinata was never late, so why would she be on the most important day of school? He decided to continue on before another Hyuuga got pissed at him for staring at "the most unique district in all of Konoha " and get his head "fucked up the 'Down Under'" said some strange Hyuuga with a strange accent. The guy was always talking about she-las and mar-soup-eels. Made no f-ing sense to Naruto, but his accent made him sound funny as hell. And for the appeal, sometimes Naruto imagined the guy with red skin, long white hair, and a bit shorter. (In another dimension, Jeice felt his ears burning like hell while getting punched in the face repeatedly by a guy in orange pajamas.)

'Naruto-kun?"

Naruto stopped at the sound of the voice so familiar to him. Suddenly, all of last night's events flashed back into his mind. He turned and stared into the beautiful eyes of Hinata. Her purple hair was practically shining in the morning sunlight. Her face was very slightly blushed, so slightly that you had to look for it to notice it. He thought he smelled a perfume in the air around her, but with his increased senses it could be anyone nearby.

He felt a deep connection to this girl, and he wanted nothing more to be with her for the rest of his life. At this thought, he blushed a bit, and scratched the back of his head. Yet, he couldn't look away from Hinata no matter how much his body tried to force the action. She stared at her feet when he started blushing, and pressed her two index fingers together. In a building nearby, Kurenai stared at the pair in envy.

_If there was any couple more perfect in all of Konoha, I don't care to know about it. These two are so interconnected, not even the GODS could separate them! If they aren't put in the same cell, I'll strike down the Third and Iruka. Maybe I should help them along the track to a good relationship. A little genjutsu never hurt any-…Oh SHIT! I have to get Hinata to class in 2 minutes or the Main Branch will have mine and my child's heads!..IF I ever have a child…_

Suddenly out of nowhere, a woman showing half her stuff appeared next to Hinata, freaking out the hopefully-soon couple.

"Let's go Hinata, we have like, no time left to talk to your boyfriend."

At this comment, Hinata and Naruto blushed a deep shade of red, to Kurenai's amusement. She decided to be a Good Samaritan for once and take Naruto with them to class. But she wanted to have some fun with this first…

"Okay you two, grab my hands and hold each other's hands…Don't be shy boy, I don't bite. Not unless you bite first…Stop blushing boy, that was a non-sexual comment! Hinata, get that pissed look off your face, it'll stick if you don't."

Hinata wanted to smack this woman she called a friend. Naruto was to be hers and hers alone, and she would not let some…big-boobed bimbo take her husband-to-be away from her. Hinata silently vowed to rip out this bitch's soul, and shove it so far up her ass, Kurenai would die of rebirth, if she EVER tried to steal Naruto from her. Hinata would die for this boy,

Naruto couldn't help but blush at the comment this hot woman said to him. She even winked when she said it! But Naruto wasn't in to cougars, only women like Hinata or Sakura.[ Again at her side by the Blue Bastard, Sakura sneezed into his hair. Sasuke just sighed and got up. He walked away from this annoying bitch, who refused to leave him alone. She followed him everywhere he went, even to the bathroom…in a town two hours away from Konoha…that refused to let any women into the city walls. The creepy part was that she even stole the seat he shat on. He wished she would only leave him alone to mourn the loss of his entire clan. If he could get that, he might be able to put up with her. Of course, the sneezing in the hair didn't help his emotions towards her. Not even the blonde bitch (his name for Ino) was this much of a pain in the ass.]

He decided to stay silent and hope she could get them to the academy in time. He looked at his watch, and noticed he had ONE MINUTE to get to class…on the other side of town…which normally took him seven minutes to run it at his best….Oh GOD did he LOATHE Gimmy and Darry right now. His only solace was that not only was he holding Hinata's hand, but they'd both get to spend more time together as they would fail the test and be held back.

Naruto looked up to see he was in the classroom with all of his classmates staring at him, Hinata, and…where the hell was that cougar? He had no idea how the hell he got to class in a single minute, but he was relieved to be able to have a chance at graduating. This was his time to shine and show everyone that the dead-last still had skill. All he had to do was pop the soldier pill in his mouth before his test and…where was the pill? Naruto had it last night, he was sure of it. He put it next to his clock before he went to bed so he wouldn't…forget it…in the morning…had he not been rushed…..He hated Gimmy so much right now. Darry not so much because she was kinda hot. But back to the important things in life. How the hell was he going to pass the test with no chakra and no time? Even if he was last to take the test, he would only be able to produce enough chakra to do _mildly_ bad, instead of _HORRIBLY_ bad. Maybe Hinata has a pill by chance?

Naruto whispered to Hinata, "Hey Hinata, got a soldier pill on you? After last night, I'm out of chakra and I left my pill at home."

"W-Well Naruto-kun, I don't have one. I'm sorry…But Darry taught me to summon my spirit animal, who was able to give me chakra. Did Gimmy teach you how?"

"…Yeah, but I can't think of a name for the thing. I was thinking Ryujimaru, Fawx, Paws, or even Fluffles, but I can't find one that feels comfortable. But you say that it can GIVE me chakra, right? I'll try to come up with one soon. Is there anything that I should know about before I try this?"

"…You do have to make a contract with you animal. But overall, that's it and it only takes a minute or two. At least, that was how it went with me and Minato."

"…You named your spirit animal after my father?…Yeah…that's not creepy at all." Naruto was kind of depressed at this news. This girl he kinda liked was into his father, that little fucker. If he ever saw his old man again, he would pummel him to a bloody mess, regardless of what his conscious said. He was going to fix that damn thing sooner or later…and he was going for sooner.

"Well Naruto-kun, if I may suggest, go with the name Ryujimaru. It has a nice ring to it. Fawx is just messing with his name… Paws is too simple and Fluffles just sounds to adorable for the Fox Demon."

"Okay then, thanks Hinata. I feel good knowing I'm about to make a contract with the legendary animal that killed so many villagers and ninjas from Konoha."

While they were talking, they held onto each other's hand, not realizing it.. To top it off, the ENTIRE class, including Iruka, was staring at the two students that were going to be absent, but somehow managed to TELEPORT into class. How had the dead-last and the Hyuuga let-down managed to teleport into class? If it was a jutsu, it would probably take too much chakra, even for a Hyuuga. Maybe a genjutsu? No, the boy has no talent, and Hyuuga's rely on ninjutsu primarily. Maybe… aww who cares HOW they did it! What the hell were they doing together, HOLDING HANDS, and talking like they were good friends, possibly even more? What was this about foxes, spirits, and contracts? The class was paying close attention to this…until Iruka-sensei broke their concentration.

"AHEM!… Thank you for being able to come and take the graduation exam, Naruto, Hinata. Allow me a few words before we begin the tests…Each of you will be taken into a room where you will demonstrate your abilities to two teachers. Each student will receive a different task, so none of the students can help another cheat. What task you receive will be determined by the progress you've made throughout the year. Some of you will do recon around town, others will steal from certain people, and others will try to show off their talents with a jutsu. You who fail will be held back a year."

Everyone looked at Naruto…Those bastards, have they no shame?

"If you succeed, you will receive a Leaf Ninja headband," Iruka raised his hand to his headband, "and you will become a genin. At which point, you will be divided into teams of three based upon the skills of every student to pass. Each team will be balanced, so if you don't get on a team with your friends…or girlfriends, deal with it.."

When Iruka said 'girlfriends', everyone turned to Naruto and Hinata. What the hell? Was it that obvious that Naruto had a thing for the girl? Yeah they were together, holding hands…wait…they were still holding hands? Naruto blushed a VERY deep red.

Hinata was completely embarrassed at this. Everyone was staring at her and Naruto. Some of them glared at Naruto with what looked like envy. Some glared at Hinata like she could do better. Either way, she wanted to kill some of these students.

"…As I was saying, if you don't get with who you wanted, put up with it. Five people will be tested at the same time, so will Sasuke, Sakura, Shino, Tenten, and Kiba please leave the room and find a teacher?"

The five students left the room as well as Iruka. Strangely enough, Naruto felt no loss when Sakura left the room, like he usually does. Has he fallen out of love with her? What was the world coming to where you lose your first love?…Oh well. He had Hinata, so there was no loss. In fact, there was only gain. At least she listened to him and didn't fawn over the Blue Bastard. Hell, she was hanging on his every word almost. At the same time, he was hanging on HER every word. He felt he could get lost in her eyes, and her words forever. He just might, if he didn't feel like something was nagging him…What the hell was itching at the back of his mind? He knew it was important, but for the life of him he couldn't think of it. It had to do with contracts, he remembered. Maybe Hinata could help him remember. She was, naturally, standing right beside him pressing her fingers together.

"Hey Hinata, thanks to that little distraction earlier, I can't remember that important thing I had to do. Can you tell me what it was?"

"…Make the contract with Ryu you spirit animal…my love." She said the last part so quietly, Naruto didn't even hear it.

"Oh, right. Thanks."

"Naruto readied himself for a massive attack, and began the process of releasing his spirit animal. He thought for a moment what his catchy line for summoning Ryujimaru would be…He got nothing. Maybe if he thought a bit more…..Nope…This was going to be hell. He had to have a line or else he'd look like an ass. He most certainly was NOT one and so he needed a line…Finally he got one.

Naruto placed his right hand in his pocket, and extended his left hand straight out, palm facing down.

"Release unto the world your might, and let your roar reign supreme! Ryujimaru!" cried Naruto.

From his left shoulder erupted red chakra, visible to all. It curbed upward and molded together into a ball, continuing to grow while more chakra was released. When it finished growing, a red, pulsing ball of chakra hovered over Naruto's shoulder. It shaked for a second, then burst and out from the ball came…A CHIBI NINE-TAILED FOX! The chibi fox looked similar to Kilala from the Inuyasha series, but it had more tails, and was red. It landed on Naruto's shoulder, and stretched like it just woke up from a long nap.

"_Oh god! Finally I'm free of that cursed cell! Now I can destroy every human in exis-..Why the fuck is everyone so big?..HOLY SHIT! Oh...I thought Minato got huge and was about to rasengan my face again. I see it's just that damn brat and his mate staring at me like I'm retarded. I almost want to go back into the cell. So why the fuck is everything so big? EXPLAIN IT TO ME BOY!"_

His voice was high-pitched, and hilarious. It was all they could do to not laugh their asses off. When he finally got full control of his lungs, Naruto took the time to explain it. The contract, the name, summoning, and how Ryu (Naruto's nickname for Ryujimaru) has to assist Naruto if needed, such as advice, or providing chakra.

"…_I…fucking…hate you! If you expect me to help you, then you got another thing coming! You want me…to give you…my chakra?"_

"Yeah pretty much. If you don't, I'll get my dad to rasengan your face again."

Ryu looked like a truck hit him and cringed in fear and remembered pain.

"…_Fine, but I better get something in return for my services…I'm staying with her!"_

Ryu pointed towards Hinata, and a few things happened, all involving Naruto yelling at Ryu. First, Naruto punched Ryu directly in the muzzle, sending the chibi to the floor near Hinata. The fox groaned in pain, and stood up. Naruto walked over to it, and picked it up. THAT is when the yelling began.

"NEVER, EVER, EVER…say that again! If you so much as touch her…let's just say that you'll get MY version of rasengan, and you will NOT recover."

As he said this, Naruto shook Ryu violently, to which Hinata begged Naruto to stop. She loved that he cared a lot for her, but didn't like that he would attack an animal for wanting to be with her.

"Please Naruto-kun, don't harm the little fox-ling anymore! PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!"

At this he looked at Hinata, and saw tears in her eyes. He felt truly disappointed. He didn't know what came over him, and started pounding on Ryu like a senseless animal. Had he no control, no shame, or compassion? This was not the guy he wanted to be. He simply wanted to graduate, get to chunin, and get married. Retire when his son got to jonin, and live a happy life in luxury…Wait…WTF!

What happened to his dream of being Hokage?…Okay it was still there as an ideal, but Naruto apparently grew up over night. Yet, he still saw Hinata crying, and wanted to stab himself with a kunai. What ass-hole would let the girl he loves cry like that? Naruto had no idea, except that he was not that ass-hole. He put Ryu back on his shoulders, and calmly, attempted to regain his civility.

"*sigh*…Okay Ryu, I'm sorry. You caught me off-guard, and so I got angry and lost control. Please forgive me, and promise me never to try that again."

"…_Sure I guess I forgive you…prick! Just don't punch me or I'll sue you for animal abuse."_

Ryu sneered and pulled out a paper from nowhere. He handed it to Naruto, and then did the same with a pen.

"_Just sign here, here, here, here, and here on the dotted line and you'll get access to my chakra reserves. But don't always expect me to loan it to you. This is my chakra, and if I feel you've been using too much, then I'll cut off the supply for a time." _said Ryu

"…There Ryu, so now I have access?"

The chibi nodded and jumped down onto a desk.

"_Don't take too much now hehehe…You might regret it. Also, I have free talk to you when I'm not summoned but she won't hear me. Oh…I also forgot. Here's a little gift from me to you for that little outburst earlier."_

Ryujimaru jumped up onto Naruto's shoulder, unsheathed his claws, and proceeded to rapidly attack Naruto's face.

"_Take this, and that, and that, and this, and that, oh and some of these! Can't forget one of those! HAHAHA! "_

Ryu jumped into the air performing three front flips, and smashed down onto Naruto's left cheek with all of his tails.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, OW, OW!" cried Naruto in pain.

Hinata watched, not sure who to help, the love of her life, or the cute little fox-thing that was kicking Naruto's ass only because she didn't want him to hit animals. She ran up to them, and grabbed the fox by his tails. She practically ripped half of Naruto's face off with the amount of skin stuck in the chibi's claws.

The fox dissolved into smoke, and just like that, the whole room was quiet. It was that awkward kind of quiet that no one liked. The duo observed the room to find it nearly empty. Besides them, there was Shikamaru, one boy whose name no one remembered, and Sylvia Denso. Sylvia was a bitch who had a thing for Naruto as well, but she had a talking problem: she couldn't talk. No one could read sign language, so she was ignored.

When Naruto didn't notice her, she attacked a random student in the room, just to vent. One time she attacked Sasuke, and it was like getting into a fight with Zabuza and Orochimaru. So much KI in one room nearly crushed the girl. If Iruka hadn't walked in, Sylvia would probably be dead. Not that she matters to this series.

Iruka walked back into the room and called all the students remaining to the hall. The each parted ways, Naruto and Shikamaru down the same end of the hall, Hinata and the unimportant people down the other way. There was plenty of KI in both ends of the hall. Hinata and Sylvia at each other's throats practically. Naruto ready to kill his teachers and the fox for separating him from Hinata. But he was also excited because he KNEW he would pass the test with the Fox's chakra.

Hinata entered a room with the Hokage and Kurenai behind a desk, the only thing in the room. She was ready for anything they could throw at her. She would pass with flying colors, and be paired with Naruto. But first she had to find out what her task was.

"H-Hinata Hyuuga reporting for examination assignment!"

"This is the one that has a thing for Naruto right?" the Hokage whispered to Kurenai, who only nodded.

"Hinata, your assignment, is to locate ten scrolls around the academy…blindfolded."

…That bitch! She planned on making Hinata fail so she could have Naruto all to herself. Well with the Byakugan, she would find the scrolls with ease. She learned a new trick over night (conveniently) that allowed her to see trails of chakra, and she could pinpoint whose chakra she wanted and only see that trail. Good for recon and tests like these. She would show Boobs (Kurenai) that no one messes with a Hyuuga.

Hinata grabbed the blindfold, and walked out the room. She donned the cloth over her eyes, and activated the Byakugan, making sure the veins were covered so she could maintain this ability as hidden still. She had activated it back in the room for a split second when she walked in to help identify who was who. She memorized Kurenai's trail, and started off down the halls. She also noticed areas where Kurenai was in a corner or on th4 floor. Must have rigged traps was the initial theory. That was partially true, but not entirely. This was also to help observe her other abilities. Kurenai purposely made trails herself so she could see if Hinata had her Kekkei Genkai yet. She stalked Hinata like a true ninja down the halls, watching her disarm traps in random pattern, (just in case she was followed, Hinata set a weak one off every now and then) she slowly found every scroll in the building but one, she couldn't find any area she hadn't already visited, so she went back to the room, still blindfolded. She opened the door, and found Kurenai was gone, then suddenly there…Hinata thought she felt eyes on her. She also assumed that Kurenai or the Third had a scroll on them. She carefully strained her eyes to identify an object on either of them. And assumed that the scroll Kurenai was carrying was the scroll she needed. She walked up to the table, being careful not to reveal her ability. She looked between them, and said she found nine, but not the last, and asked if they each had one.

The Hokage had nothing but clothing on him, so Hinata frisked Kurenai (with her permission of course). She pulled out the scroll after missing it on purpose twice, and said she was done. She removed the blindfold, to find that only seven of the scrolls she found were the ones she needed. Looks like the Hokage hid a few as well. DAMMIT! Now Naruto would pass and they would never be able to work together..Hinata walked out of the room, head low, feet dragging. How could she fail to see that Kurenai can't ALWAYS do the work? Now she just had to root Naruto on and hope for the best…

Naruto walked into a room with only one desk. Behind it was Iruka and Mizuki, on the desk was a large set of headbands. He walked over to the desk and introduced himself.

"Naruto Uzumaki, ready to undergo an assignment!"

Iruka looked kind of proud at Naruto, Mizuki looked bored. Iruka told him that his assignment was to make as many successful clones as possible, and find 15 scrolls in the academy. Easy. Naruto pulled hard on the Fox's chakra, and made the hand signs for the clone jutsu. He forced the chakra outward, and made about seven successful clones, and thirty half-dead clones…The chakra was new to him, he just needed to work out the kinks. He sent off the clones and waited here for a report.

The room was eerily quiet, neither Naruto, Iruka, nor Mizuki were good at breaking the ice, so they stood there, in silence, waiting for something to happen. They waited for many a minute, when finally a clone came back with the location of six scrolls. It reported that each clone was holding a spot near the scroll, waiting in case another student attempted to take them for their test. Naruto sent the clone back out and the silence continued for a few more seconds until…

"…Well I better go get those scrolls and make sure they are the right ones… Bye!"

Naruto dashed off without looking at the scroll in the room that was a replica of the ones he needed to obtain. In all reality, he knew they would be heaven scrolls, don't ask how he knew that, but he did. He walked up to the first scroll and claimed it for his cause. He figured that many other scrolls were located throughout the academy, and other students would be taking the same test, except for earth scrolls maybe. Naruto planted a flag in the spot where the scroll was, and walked off. It was a flag with his mark, a spiral, showing that he claimed the scroll in that spot. He also decided that the less competition, the better in the long run, and proceeded to take earth scrolls along the way. After ten minutes of wandering around the academy, Naruto had in his possession, nine heaven scrolls and fifteen earth scrolls. He kept finding them, almost like he knew the location of each and every one of them. And when Naruto came across a heaven scroll, he would plant another flag in that spot.

He finally found fifteen heaven scrolls, and returned to Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei. He let the stack of white scrolls fall on the table and watched as they both counted the scrolls out, some were placed to the right, others to the left of the desk. The stack to the left had the most and he feared that those were the wrong scrolls. He knew he should have paid more attention, but that damn rash side of his just does whatever it wants. He didn't even get a chance to think about the replica on the table. Finally the scrolls were divided, and Iruka talked.

"…Naruto, the scrolls beside me are the one that were required for your assignment. The ones beside Mizuki are the ones you got wrong. As you can tell, you grabbed twelve of the fifteen right, giving you a pass in this graduation exam. I'm proud to inform you that you are now a genin. Please take this headband in recognition of what you've accomplished."

Naruto held his excitement in for as long as he could, and he grabbed a headband and walked out of the room like a respectful adult. When he entered the hallway, Naruto couldn't contain it anymore, and he jumped for joy, he shouted loud and proud, and he dashed down the hall towards Hinata. He couldn't wait to give her the news. It was thanks to her that he was able to succeed. He waited outside her assignment room (he decided to memorize this point just for the heck of it) and when she opened the door, he gave her a big hug.

Hinata had no idea what happened when she exited the assignment room. She opened the door, ready to try and fool Naruto into thinking that she failed with a slow weak walk, and her head down. What she didn't expect was for him to finish before her, and wait outside her door. As she opened the door, a big orange blur cam down upon her, and gave her a hug that caught her off-guard. After regaining control of herself, she realized that it was Naruto holding her, and she blushed with enough red in her face, others might think ALL of her blood rushed to her head. She moved her arms and placed them around Naruto, feeling the softness of his jacket. Minato called out from the inside.

_Good job Missy! You passed and you got my son! This makes me so happy… _He said the last sentence in between sobs. This was all ignored by Hinata, as she just wanted to live in this moment forever, embraced by the one person she TRULY cared about.

Naruto was having the best day ever in his opinion. There was no way this could get better. But for Ryu, this shit was about to get real fun-like. He decided now was the time to speak up.

…_Hey, Naruto! Are you gonna tap that? You should totally go for it! She's practically all over you now!_

Naruto blushed ever deeper that Hinata did, and he made another mental note, punch the fox when he gets home, then doushe-glue his ass to the stove.

Kurenai just stared at the pair, and decided now was the time to decide on her pupils.

"Lord Hokage, I've decided who I want for my team. I would like to take Hinata Hyuuga, Naruto Uzumaki, and Shikamaru Nara."

The old man ran his fingers through his little soul patch, considering this course of action. He figured Hinata and Naruto would make a great team, if they ever stopped playing in front of everybody. Shikamaru seemed like a good choice as he was lazy and would leave the pair alone to…what the hell was wrong with him? Did he really just think that? Oh well, his ass hurt from that damn wooden chair, and he just wanted to go home.

"Very well Kurenai, fill out the forms, and you can have them. But if they fall out of it, that shit is on your head, got it?"

"Yes, my lord, thank you." Kurenai shadow stepped out of the room.

The two looked at each other, getting lost in their eyes. Hinata had one though running through her head, a perverse one at that. Naruto had five thoughts running through his head, all perverse thanks to Ryu. Their faces were an inch apart, and they could feel the other's breath. All they needed was some incentive, and they'd… Naruto realized he was NOT ready to go that far…yet. He broke the hug, and stepped back. Hinata nearly fell over, and she looked at Naruto like she'd cry. Naruto PRAYED she wouldn't, not over this. He extended his hand, blushing and scratching his right cheek with a single finger. She took the memo and grabbed it, the blush gone from her face, and a bright, beautiful smile in its place. They walked down the hall, hand in hand, enjoying the others company. Until Naruto broke the silence…

"…I guess this make us boyfriend and girlfriend huh?"

Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. Boyfriend and girlfriend? This was the…happiest…moment of her…life. And with that, Hinata fainted into Naruto's arms…

Naruto wasn't sure what to do in this situation. Should he take the girl home, or back to her home? He REALLY didn't feel like getting attacked for holding an unconscious Hyuuga in his arms. They'd murder him if given the chance. He decided to take her to his home, regardless of what his conscious told him not to do. It wasn't like he was gonna rape her.

_Or will you?…_ Said Ryu.

…Naruto was going to invent a new type of doushe-glue for this bastard. Maybe one involving steak…


	5. Chapter 5

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto opened the door carefully, trying not to drop his unconscious partner. He had a hell of a time carrying Hinata through Konoha. Everyone stared at him like he was a monster normally, but today they stared at him like they were gonna rip his head off. Normally, regular people can't harness KI, but these people had a moment where they apparently unlocked their full potential, as Naruto had to walk through a crowd of these guys, and boy did he feel like he would die any moment if he didn't hurry. If he could shadow step home, he would have. But carrying Hinata, he wanted to be careful and decided not to risk it.

Naruto laid Hinata on his bed and let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he had difficulty carrying the girl, he just felt weird about it. Kind of like it was wrong and that if he didn't hurry, he wouldn't be able to control himself for some unknown reason. Now, as he looked around his apartment, he noticed how small and dingy it was. Naruto thought this might make him look bad and as quietly as he could, he started cleaning. Luckily he didn't have much furniture(only his bed, a single chair, and one table with a potted plant) so his only problem was how dirty it was. He grabbed a broom and started sweeping, wincing at how loud it sounded when the straw scratched the hard, wood floor. After he got all the dust out of the room, and cleaned the curtains beside his bed (being careful not to wake Hinata up), he finally felt that his place was clean enough to present to the girl of his affections. All he had to do was wait for her to recover from her little faint, and they could finally have some time alone. This time though, there would be no one to see them and listen in to what they said. For some odd reason, Naruto started to blush, he had no idead why though. He ignored this feeling and went into his kitchen. He went to the cabinet under the sink, and pulled out the remaining doushe-glue he had left. It wasn't much, but it was enough to torture the chibi with.

_This'll show that little bastard that fucking with me is the last thing he should ever do,_ thought the blonde with a evil smirk and a twinkle in his eye.

He put the adhesive away and walked over to the chair that he placed by his bed. As he sat down, he looked over at Hinata, breathing in a soft, peaceful way. The opened curtains shined light onto her face, making her practically glow. Naruto couldn't look away, and felt his heart begin to pump faster and faster. If not for an unpleasant smell, he would have stayed like that forever He smelled his armpits, withdrawing his face rapidly when a foul stench reached his nostrils.

_Damn, I need a shower bad. It's been hectic since yesterday and I haven't had a chance to clean up. I'll look bad if I smell, so I think I'll take a quickie._

Naruto grabbed a spare change of clothing from his closet, and walked into his tiny bathroom. After he placed his clothing on the toilet tank, removed his current garments, did he step behind the curtain and turn the water on slowly as to not wake up his guest. The water ran down hhis body, rinsing away all the recent hardships from Gimmy, to the giant fox, to graduation exams. He grabbed his soap and began scrubbing away the grime covering his face and arms…

Hinata felt out of place right now. She was in a room that was completely black on one end, and completely white on the other. She stood on the line that divided the two halves. In the black side of the room was everyone from the Hyuuga District, including Steve, the guy that talked about mar-soup-eels and crap like that. She hated the guy for always dissing Naruto in her presence. She was going to rip his throut apart one day and she would enjoy it. On the white side of the room was Naruto, Gimmy, Iruka, and every one that didn't hate her or Naruto. Suddenly everything went black and she could only hear the voices of everyone around her.

"Hinata, please come with me." That was Naruto's voice, she identified.

"Daughter, he wants to separate us, please come back to me."

"F-Father? I can't see anything! What should I do?" she cried out to her father.

"Trust yourself and your heart dear. It will lead you to to where you truly belong."

"M-M-Mother? This is all so confusing…What is going on?"

_Hinata, you are at the crossroads in your life. Pick wisely for once you do, there is no going back. If you pick my son and everyone with him, you must abandon your family. Pick them, and you will never be with Naruto, only whoever your family arranges for you to marry. I understand that this is a tough choice, but it must be made, right here and right now._

"Minato, I'm scared! I can't do this!"

_I wish I could help, but I can only giude you down the road you walk. Right now, you are at a fork in your path, and you MUST choose. Only you can make this choice._

Hinata was scared, and didn't want to choose family or the love of her life. Could they not exist in harmony? But regardless of how she felt about this, she understood what Minato was saying and she must choose, for better or worse. She began walking, towards the voice of the one closest to her. Her steps echoed off the walls with a loud intensity. When she stood in front of the one she chose, their breaths landing on her, warming her face, only then did she finally see.

She opened her eyes, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fight the tears that clouded her vision. Her emotions could not be held back, and they flowed forth, releasing all the anguish, sorrow, and pain she had felt within her life, and her very soul. Hinata cried for the first time since she was five. Her tears fell, down her face and onto the floor, where they simply vanished, leaving no trace behind. She didn't notice however, as she was preoccupied with the eyess that stared into her very soul. Standing in front of Hinata, with a giant, loving grin on his face, was Naruto.

Hinata had made her choice, and as she looked back towards her family, she felt a massive burden released from her shoulders. Her family was smiling, like they were okay with her choice. They began to dissolve, their dust floating away into the nothingness. Hinata cried, for them, for Naruto, but mostly for herself. As the last of her tears fell, and her sorrow eased, did the storm within her mind clear, and she was released from the blind void that contained her soul. Hinata truly felt at peace, and she was born again.

Hinata opened her eyes, and was instantly confused. The dream she had woken from was still fresh in her mind, and from it, she discovered tranquility. This helped her maintain a calm state of mind, but didn't help answer any questions. The room was completely bare, save for the bed she was on, a chair, and the curtains on the window. The odd thing was the steam that covered the ceiling. She heard water rushing from an open door within the room, also the origin of the steam. She slowly got up, careful not to make a sound. She walked over cautiously, hoping that whoever was in there was not an enemy. She opened the door and witnessed the siloutte of someone with short spikey hair behind the curtain. A minute went by before she registered what was happeneing.

_OH MY GOD! I'm in Naruto-kun's house! To think I almost attacked him, thinking that someone kidnapped me! I'm so embarrassed! On top of that, he's in the shower! This would have made me look so bad!_

"_You're telling me! I didn't realize my son lived in a crappy place like this. Plus you almost walked in on him naked! THAT would have been funny as hell!" said Minato._

_Minato-san, please don't say such things! My blushing problem is bad enough without you-_

Hinata's thoughts were silenced as the shower cut off with a squeak, and the siloutte moved to the back of the curtain where the towel was. She couldn't move, and even though she was aware of Minato talking to her, she couldn't hear him. All she heard was the thumping of her heart, a loud noise, pounding in her ears.

Naruto pulled the curtain back, eyes still closed, and grabbed the towel. He walked over to where he was sure his mirror was, drying off his head in the process. For some reason he detected the scent of purfume, like he had this morning. It was weird, but he ignored it and continued for about three more steps. The scent was extremely powerful now, and Naruto was sure his head was dry now, so he removed the towel from his face.

Naruto opened his eyes, and saw Hinata staring at him, a SUPER deep blush on her face. Five seconds later, Naruto registered this and blushed the same deep red as Hinata. At the same time, both of them cried out, and the girl fainted again. Naruto was going to catch her, but Hinata hit his head and he was knocked out as well.

_I told you to tap that Naruto! I told you man! You had the chance, and you blew it! At this rate, you two will be sixty-three years old and still be holding hands!_

"…_She walked in on me while I was NUDE! HOW THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO ACT? This never happened before! Besides, that isn't my style…"_

_Sure, just kepp telling yourself that dude. It's still funny as hell though!_

_Hinata, I TOLD you to back away, to leave the room! But did you listen? NO! Why the hell did you just stand there?_

"_I-I-I-I don't know! I'm so embarrassed! How will I ever show my face around Naruto now?_

Both Ryu and Minato began to laugh, while Naruto and Hinata just laid there, unconscious. They would have remained like that for hours if an incessant knocking at the door hadn't jolted Naruto awake. He woke up, a splitting headache, and grabbed his towel, now with a bit of his blood in it. He wrapped it around his waist and walked over to the door.

"I'm coming, I'M COMING! Hold your horses!"

Naruto opened the door to see the landlord, his face red with anger. The man was large with his fists clenched so tight, his knuckles were white. His muscles were bulging and he was breathing hard like he just ran a mile.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH ALL THE SHOUTING? IF I HEAR ANOTHER SOUND COME FROM THIS ROOM, AND I GET ANY MORE COMPLAINTS FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS, I WILL TOSS YOU OUT ON THE STREET LIKE A BEGGAR, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE HOKAGE SAYS!"

"_Just don't bust my eardrums, you little prick!"_

_Kill him, kill him, kill him! _The fox chanted.

The man stomped away, leaving giant holes in the floor where his feet were. Naruto had a feeling that would be blamed on him too. He shrugged and walked back into the room, ignoring Ryu and his chanting. For once, he wanted to listen to his conscious, and NOT kill the man. People hated him enough at it stood now. He didn't need that shit on him right now.

Naruto picked up Hinata, and carried her over to the bed, gently lowering her. He was literally an inch from her face. He could feel her soft breath, gently warming his face. He felt the urge, but knew better and started to move away. Unfortunately, fate had other plans in store for Naruto. Having only dried his head, Naruto's feet were still wet. Combine that with the condensed steam on the floor, and what do you get?

As he began to rise, his foot slipped, and Naruto went down. Luckily, he was leaning over the bed…where Hinata was. His face collided with Hinata's, and they locked lips. Naruto felt like fireworks were going off somewhere within the room. He felt the salty taste of Hinata's lips, and he couldn't move. Rather, he didn't want to move…ever again.

Hinata wasn't sure what happened at first. One second she was on the floor in Naruto's bathroom, the next she was in his bed again, and the next he was kissing her. She simply laid there, trying to gather her thoughts. But with the love of your life all over you, trying to gather your thoughts is like trying to eat an exploding kunai…not gonna happen! Hinata could taste his soft, sweet lips, and she though she tasted ramen on them. She was filled with indecision. Should she let him be, or throw him off and get the hell out? She decided to go with it and see what happened, maybe feigning sleep.

Naruto eventually broke the kiss, a blush apparent on his face. He looked down at Hinata, who was still asleep. Was it him, or was she blushing a bit? Naruto was tempted to lean down and kiss her again, but one accidental time was enough.

He walked back into the bathroom and donned the clean pair of orange pants, a black t-shirt, and his underwear…not in that order. He heard rustling on his bed and knew that Hinata was awake at last. He thought he heard her giggling, and immediately became embarrassed. She was awake for the whole thing! He knew he'd have to face the music, so with that, he walked out the door, and into Hinata.

"Ouch!..Hey Hinata, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Naruto-kun. Hehehe." She scratched the back of her head and blushed lightly.

_Naruto…you totally failed. Just kiss her again and all will be fine. I bet she'll even lean into it._

_Hinata, now is your chance! It happened once, it'll happen again. Just lean in and plant one on him. He'll go with it, trust me. If he is __**anything**__ like me, he'll go with it._

"…_Okay!"_ They both told their spirit animals at the same time.

Naruto began to lean in to it, closing his eyes. It felt kind of natural to him. Hinata was doing the same thing, only slower. They connected again, and it was like a supernova of passion and love. Salty and sweet mixed together, in perfect harmony. Naruto placed his arms around Hinata's waist, pulling her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and the two stayed like this for what felt like an eternity. It was at this exact moment that Ryujimru decided to speak up.

_Aww yeah! It's on like Donkey-Kong! Go Naruto! You can do it…all night long!_

"_SHUT…THE FUCK...UP…YOU…FUCKING…PRICK! CAN YOU GO FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT MAKING SOME DUMBASS COMMENT ABOUT ME AND HINATA? LET ME ENJOY THIS!"_

_Chill man, just messin' with ya._

Naruto was on Cloud Nine right now. Not even Ryu could stop this. If he could just spend the rest of his life like this, he'd die a happy man. Hinata was feeling the same right now. Minato was telling her that it lasted long enough, and he was beginning to annoy her now. She tuned him out and pressed harder into Naruto. This was her past, present, and future, and neither Boobs, Pink Banshee (EVERYONE'S name for Sakura) nor Blonde Bitch Ino could break this.

"Well, what have we here? I knew it would get serious between you two, but damn you guys move fast! At this rate, you two will be makin' babies in a week!"

This outside voice caught both Naruto and Hinata off-guard, making Hinata bite Naruto's tongue. Standing in the door, was Kurenai. Hinata suddenly felt anger coursing through her veins. Naruto was trying to find sone gauze or tape or something for his tongue. He didn't care that Cougar was in his house…Wait…WTF?

"I came here to see the living arrangements of my new genin, but instead, I find a porno. I know I need to slow down on my scotch, but damn, this is like, overkill. Shouldn't have let Shikamaru's father convince me to have a drinking game." Kurenai looked of to the side with a blush and slight anger clear as day on her face.

"…Cougar, why are you here again," said Naruto, trying to change the subject befor he became scarred for life.

"Oh, right…You're one of my new genin, along with Shikamaru Nara. One of the tasks all Jounin teachers must perform is a home inspection of pupil lodging. This gives the teacher a bit of knowledge about your personality, allowing for a better training regimens, assignment of duties, and what to specialize that genin under: Tracking, Force, or Support."

"…Oh, okay then…Please leave now and come back in about…never!" said Naruto with a creepy smile on his face.

"No can do kiddo, this is the last house I have to check. Shikamaru's home was first. I came here second but no one was home. After I checked the other home, I decided to try this "house" one more time. I'm about to knock when I see the door is open, so I figure that you are home. Imagine my surprise when I see…this." She gestured to the two children, now holding hands.

"…Please leave…now…now…now…now…now…now…..NOW!" This sudden outburst from Naruto caught both Kurenai and Hinata off-guard, but only Kurenai cringed. Hinata had become used to Naruto's unpredictability, and so she never flinched from his outbursts. Heck, she was starting to do it as well. But right now she just wanted to get rid of Kurenai.

"B-Kurenai? Can you please leave? I'll do whatever you want tomorrow if you do?"

"Hmmm…Tempting, but no…Then again, there isn't much to see or learn from all of this…Fine, I'll leave. But Hinata, your father was looking for you. I covered your ass this time, but I won't in the future. You'd best go home now, before the Hyuuga's come looking for you. And I have a feeling they know where to look."

With that, Kurenai 'poofed' into thin air and was gone. Naruto was glad she was gone, but sad at what was said. Hinata had to leave or her entire clan would knock down Naruto's door and castrate him with a rusty carving knife in his sleep. Naruto could already hear the knife being sharpened, and he shivered.

"Hinata, would you like me to walk you home?"

Hinata had been waiting for this moment her entire love life. Under normal circumstances, she would have jumped on the opportunity, but for his sake, Hinata turned Naruto down. He felt a slight loss, but knew that he'd see her tomorrow. They said their goodbyes and she left his apartment. Then he realized that he needed to stock up on ramen. He slamed his door, making sure to lock it (last time he didn't, all his food was thrown on the floor and his ninja stuff was destroyed or stolen) then he dashed out after Hinata. This was the perfect excuse

"Hinata, wait up! I'm gonna walk you home, regardless of how dangerous it is. To me, nothing is more important than you."

Hinata may have kissed him twice now, but even when he said this, she still couldn't prevent herself from blushing. It was like a message from God, and Hinata had been blessed. She kindly thanked Naruto, and they began to walk. Naruto slipped his hand into Hinata's, and they walked along, ignoring the glares at Naruto and the WTF? looks directed at Hinata.

They walked for about ten minutes, talking about what they liked (besides each other, that was plain as day), what they dislikes [besides Blue Bastard, and Pink Banshee (beside each other, Sasuke and Sakura sneezed into the other's hair. Sasuke ignored it as he did it too for some unknown reason, the problem with his sneeze was that it didn't land in her hair, it landed directly on her face. For once, Sakura left Sasuke's side. He perked up at this, but immediately lost it when the Blonde Bitch took her place. _Is there no end to this?_ He thought.)], and what their plans for the future was. It was then that they arrived at the Hyuuga District. Hinata opened the doors, about to walk the quarter mile through the area to get to her house, when she saw the worst thing in the world.

Behind the walls of the Hyuuga district, were the unconscious bodies of Gimmy and Darry. Standing over them were two of the best Byakugan user in all of the clan. Over Gimmy was Steve, the Hyuuga with a strange accent, who always talked about mar-soup-eels, and the like. Looming over Darry was the frail body of Hanabi, who looked like she would kill the unconsious girl in a pink suit for no apparent reason. Hinata didn't like where this was going, and decided to sent Naruto away before he saw Gimmy and Darry, and then diffuse the situation.

"Naruto-kun, thank you for walking me home. I will see you tomorrow at school."

"…Hinata, please setp aside. I saw them in there and I WILL find out what is going on. You don't have to get involved, but if my friends are a part of this, then so am I." Naruto said it with such conviction, that Hinata had to let him go. But she vowed to follow him to the ends of the planet and back, and she would stand with him now. The dream she had earlier today floated back into her mind, and she understood everything now. She only hoped that Naruto knew what he was about to get himself into…


	6. Chapter 6

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto stepped past Hinata, and pushed the district gate open with more force than was necessary. The result was a loud bang of wood crashing into cement. This garnered the attention of everyone the square. Gimmy, the only one still awake, gathered what remained of his strength, and made his body turn to look at the new arrival.

"N-*ugn*! Naruto, what a-are you d-…doing here?"

"Well I was walking Hinata home, but seeing this just got me fired up. I'm ready to pound in the heads of whoever did this to you. So who has the balls to assault my friends?…Well, are you COWARDS?"

The Hyuuga that stood over Gimmy walked over to Naruto. It was that Hyuuga with a strange accent, the one that talked about shee-las. Naruto should learn his name sonetime, calling him the Hyuuga with an accent was getting old fast.

"Oy, what right do you have to be in here, freak? Get out now, or I'll do to you what I did to him." He gestured over to Gimmy.

Naruto finally knew who to direct his anger at, and began to call on Ryu's chakra. Maybe he could get away with using Sexy no Jutsu in front of Hinata…Then again, that might make her feel insignificant about herself. No using that jutsu, just whatever he could get with his own abilities.

_Naruto, I got an idea for you. Henge into Iruka when you get the chance and maybe you can make him drop his guard. Then GO IN FOR THE KILL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!_

"…_Sound reasoning! Except for the killing part."_

_Damn you're soft! Then head-butt him, it'll at least knock him out. Make's you job easier right?_

Naruto liked the sound of that tactic. They'd never think Iruka would head-butt a Hyuuga. He'd simply create a bunshin and henge while the Hyuuga was distracted. With a plan now set, Naruto gathered all the chakra he would need. He was ready, and began the assault.

Naruto made about twenty shadow bunshins, and they rushed at the man. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke obscured the man's vision, and Iruka was standing among the orange brats. He shouted out and things got weird.

"What the hell are you doing Naruto? Have you gone mad?"

The clones stopped in their tracks and cringed. Iruka? walked over to the man, and began to bow, giving apologies. This was better in his opinion, but something felt out of place. Which was the REAL orange menace? Then a thoughts struck him. Before he could react though, his theory came true, and Iruka head-butted the man with enough force to send him flying back about ten feet. There was a 'poof', and the Chunin turned into Naruto.

"N-Naruto-kun!"

Naruto picked up Gimmy and Darry, then carried them over to the gate, beside Hinata. She hugged him tightly and stepped forward. Hinata knew what was about to happen, and she knew that Naruto would have been unable to do a thing.

Hanabi began to walk towards them, a look of evil plain as day on her face This was what she was waiting for. Now she could fight Hinata, and show her family that she had skill. Then after she mopped up the let-down, she'd obliterate that orange person for attacking Steve. No one hurt the man she would marry, and she'd make sure of that.

Naruto was about to get back in the fray when the little girl stepped forward. Naruto couldn't fight a woman, he had morals that made sure of that. If Hinata hadn't stepped forward, then Naruto would have surely been beaten to a pulp.

"Naruto, you took down Steve, but you can't fight Hanabi. This is where I prove myself to my family and how devoted I am to us. I made my choice earlier, and now I will live with it."

Naruto finally learned that guy's name. But he was more focused on the girl in front of him, who was now dropping into a fighting pose. That girl, Hanabi was it? She got into the same pose, and silence blanketed the area. The two girls stood there, waiting for the other to make a move. They both knew the same techniques, and everyone but Naruto knew that.

"Go Hinata! Show that girl who has the stuff!"

This enraged Hanabi, as his voice was loud and obnoxious. She charged at Hinata, and forced all her chakra into her hands. It wasn't much, but it was enough to bring even this girl down to her knees. Hanabi thrusted, and was batted aside without even making contact with Hinata. She twisted her palm around her body, and thrusted again at the girl she called family. Hinata grabbed her wrist before the blow connected, and palm trusted at Hanabi, who also grabbed the oncoming wrist before the attack landed. They jumped back and halted to gather their breath for a moment.

Then the two Hyuugas dashed at each other, thrusting and dodging in a way that was almost like a dance. The entire clan as well as Naruto looked on in awe. These two girls learned to activate their Byakugan already? This feat was only performed by the greatest of Hyuuga talents.

The dance flowed on for minutes, but it seemed like only seconds. What intense training had these girls gone through? It was a standoff between prodigy Hanabi and let-down Hinata. Finally, Hanabi slipped up and thrusted too early, twisting her ankle in the process. Hinata grabbed her wrist tightly, and refused o let go. Hanabi couldn't move, let alone retaliate, so she glared at the traitor girl. She looked into the eyes of her opponent, and fear gripped her, for the first time in her life.

Hinata's eyes, now with the Byakugan in them, had changed color to a shining, violent green. They looked like they could pierce Hanabi's very soul, and drain her of all her fighting spirit. Hanabi was unable to move, the glare paralyzed her. It was all Hanabi could do to keep herself from screaming out in pure, absolute fear.

This was all Hinata needed to finish the fight. She spun in a 180* circle aroud Hanabi, and forced an excessive amount of chakra into her hands. She smashed them into the little girl's neck, causing a total system shut down. Hanabi's heart stopped pumping blood to her body, and her lungs couldn't get any air. She realized that Hinata planned to make her suffer, and she forced her head to turn over to the girl.

Hinata walked back around Hanabi, a smirk on her face. She continued past Hanabi, and walked over to Naruto and the two intruders. She hugged the orange boy tightly, and Hanabi forced her body to move forward. Each second caused an immense amount of pain within every inch of her body. She felt like her entire being was on fire. Hanabi's vision began to cloud, and she turned towards Steve. He wasn't dead, she was glad to know that. But he would never know the truth of her love now.

Hanabi blacked out, and fell to the ground with a thump.

_I…guess that this…is the end. My resolve wasn't enough…to beat her. Now…I must face…the inevitable. But I wonder, will I dream, or will utter blackness consume me? Will I ascend to the Heavens, and live with God? Will my soul be cast down into the very pits of Hell, trapped within an endless cycle of misery and torment? What will become of me?_

Hanabi's face felt cold, and suddenly, she felt nothing. Hanabi had passed from this world. Naruto watched on, but seeing tis girl weaken with each second made his blue eyes shut tight. Needless death was the one thing he wanted to avoid. Hinata had done too much, but he couldn't say that to her.

Hinata walked over to him, and she hugged him tightly. He saw tears flow down her face. At least she still had a heart. Naruto held her, and comforted her, wishing he could forget this whole event. He broke the hug, and stepped back to investigate Gimmy's wounds. They weren't too bad, nothing a bit of rest wouldn't recover. Darry looked like absolute shit right now though. Hinata investigated her wounds, and gasped when she checked Darry's pulse. Her eyes watered, and she looked at Naruto. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds, then Naruto understood.

Darry was dead, and Gimmy had no idea. How was he going to break it to the boy? How would he take it? Naruto didn't want to find out, but he had no choice, as Gimmy picked that exact moment to wake up.

"Uh-uhn. N-Naruto? I-Is Darry okay? I-I can't see anything right now."

Naruto's eyes watered up, and in between sobs, he told Gimmy.

"She-she's d-d-dead G-Gimmy! I-I-I didn't move fast enough! It's all m-my fault! I'M SO SORRY!"

Naruto dashed off, to where he had no idea. He just wanted to escape this night. He ran, and he ran, for ten minutes straight. He crashed into many a people, and he eventually made it to where he felt he could escape. He stood atop the Hokage memorial, looking out over the town. Everything was so peaceful up here.

Naruto quieted the storm in his mind, and let his body fall. He feet left the ground, and the wind began to rush through his hair. His whole world was turned upside-down, and to Naruto, it was the end. He fell down from the memorial, thinking of all that happened recently. He recalled his fight with the giant mechas, the trip with Hinata into his mind. His graduation exam, his first kiss. All these events breezed through his head. Then it struck him. He and Gimmy talked about the Forbidden scroll, and the resurrection jutsu sealed inside of it.

Salvation! He could save Darry yet…had he not thrown himself off the memorial in a suicide attempt.

…_This is the end huh? Why did I have to get a stupid host like you? Minato was a fool. But as they say, 'like father like son'._

"_My only regret Ryu, is not doing all that I could have to prevent this."_

_Then open your eyes, and call my name._

Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he raised both of his arms, placing his legs together. Red charkra began to surround him, and he cried out the line.

"Release unto the world your might, and let your roar reign supreme! RYUJIMARU!"

The chakra began to take the shape of Ryu, except this time, he was MUCH larger. Instead of forming over his shoulder, he formed below him. He finished taking shape, and jumped directly up, catching Naruto with his back. Naruto landed in Ryu's soft, plush fur.

They landed back at the top on the memorial, and Ryu returned to chibi size. He 'poofed away, and like that, everything was back to normal. Naruto heard his name called, and turned to see Hinata running towards him, carrying Gimmy.

"Hinata, I know what I must do. I've had time to think about it, and now I must enact my plan."

She stopped running, and placed Gimmy on the ground. She walked over to Naruto, and hugged him so tightly, he thought he would be crushed into two halves. He placed his right arm around her, and his left on her head. He then rested his head on hers. He smelled lilac, and it soothed him.

"Naruto-kun, please don't ever leave me again."

"…Not even after the day I die. You are, my world, my soul, and my love."

They held each other closely, and Naruto explained what his next move would be, knowing that Hinata supported him entirely. Naruto, was going to steal the Forbidden Scroll, and bring Darry back to life…


	7. Chapter 7

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto and Hinata landed on top of the Hokage tower. They silently opened the door to the 2nd floor, and tip-toed inside. They nodded to each other and proceeded down the hall towards the location of the scroll storage area. It would be in a location where no one could get to it without risking life and limb. It WAS the Forbidden Scroll they were after.

Naruto had a strange feeling. Not the 'haha" kind, but the very unpleasant kind. It felt like his chakra was being removed from his body. It must be a security measure taken by Old Man Sarutobi. Naruto feared there may be other traps nearby. He signaled to Hinata to turn back, but she only shook her head. She felt the draining as well, but with Minato supplying her with excess chakra, she would be able to maintain stability for another half hour before Minato would stop sending her chakra. Naruto simply placed his head in his hands. What was he going to do with her? But regardless, he loved the devotion she showed to their relationship.

Naruto decided now was the time to put his guard up and take the cautious way in. He channeled chakra through his body, then made the hand seals for bunshin. His chakra molded inside him, and he released fifteen clones that spawned behind the couple. He stared at his look-alikes, and nodded to them. One stepped forward and began to lead the group. Not even ten steps into the hallway, spears shot out of the wall, piercing the illusion, which 'poofed'. Another took the lead, and they continued.

They reached the end of the hallway and stood before the door that lead to the scroll storage area. The original opened the door, quickly jumping back. The clone stayed where he was, and three kunai sliced through his head. He vanished with a 'poof'.

Naruto signaled to the other clones to spread out and search for the scroll. They silently advanced, leaving Naruto and Hinata to proceed at their leisure. Holding hands, they observed each shelf not checked by the clones. After fifteen minutes went by, a clone stepped over to the pair, and signaled that the scroll was found. They quickly moved to where the clone was waiting, and observed the plague in front of them. It said '**FORBIDDEN SCROLL OF KONOHA'**, and Naruto smirked. They had found the scroll, and it only took twenty minutes.

Naruto grabbed the scroll slowly, careful of another trap. When nothing happened, Hinata smirked as well, and they turned around to leave. They made their way back to the roof with all the stealth and speed that befitted their titles. Naruto called Ryu quietly, and they made their escape.

The duo stood in the field behind the Hokage monument, waiting for Gimmy to wake up. They were very impatient, well Naruto was, and everything about him was beginning to rub off on Hinata. Naruto slipped his thumb under the seal, and pulled the parchment from the wooden tube. He could barely contain himself as he noticed rare jutsu after rare jutsu. He looked at Hinata, and she looked at him. They nodded and began to memorize the content.

The first jutsu was one they were slightly familiar with. Naruto ran his eyes over every word, making sure that he understood all the details. If his theory was correct, then this jutsu could make him infinitely more powerful.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? Shadow clones?" asked Hinata.

"From the description, anyone who uses this jutsu can learn other jutsus faster, retain any memories that the clone maintained, and actually has a physical form, making it a useful battle technique. It also says they can be used for recon. Downside is it takes a much larger amount of chakra to use."

"Lets try it. I think that this could help us in the long run."

They both got up, and took ten steps backwards. They crossed their hands with their index and middle fingers out. The chakra they summoned left them extremely tired, but they pressed on, willing the energy to mold for the jutsu. When the two felt that it was ready, they released all the energy.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" they cried out.

Naruto felt like a bomb was going off inside his head. He saw stars, planets, and galaxies themselves. Was this the universe? Was this what Gimmy said he'd be a part of? Naruto could barely contain himself at the immenseness of it all. Yet, fear gripped him like an iron claw. He would be protecting all of this, and each opponent would become significantly more harder than the last. Naruto accepted this, and was ready to lay down his life for this cause.

Hinata was having a different vision, she was at a wedding. Not hers unfortunately, but that of some blue-haired boy that looked to be about Gimmy's age. She was in a crowd of strangers, some were young, other were old. Then she noticed Gimmy and Darry among these people. The only thing was that this Gimmy looked to be a few years younger than the one she knew. And hadn't Darry died? What happened to Hinata?

It was like she was taken back in time, or something like that. She walked over to Gimmy. But when she tried to talk to him, she was ignored, like she wasn't there. This baffled the purple-haired girl. Then the music played, and she looked down the isle, to see the most beautiful girl ever. She was wearing a bright white gown carrying the most amzing bouquet of flowers Hinata had ever seen. The girl's hair was a bright blue, which contrasted the groom's dark blue hair quite well. The ritual went on like any other wedding, and the two newly-wed couple kissed.

Hinata then saw something unexpected. The girl was beginning to vanish and everyone in the crowd gasped. Her body was dissipating, and the groom just looked on, holding her like he knew this would happen. She had the feeling he did know, and accepted the inevitable.

When the bride had comepletly vanished, her ring, the only thing left, fell to the ground and rolled over to the feet of a red-headed woman in a suit. Why a suit, Hinata only guessed she was the tom-boy type of girl. She picked it up, and the dream ended. She wanted to find out the truth, but she knew that Gimmy would tell her…in time. Hinata woke up in the field, right beside Naruto, who also looked like he woke from a dream.

The area around them was covered in smoke, and niether of the two could see. They waited for a few moments for the smoke to clear, and they gasped. Standing in front of Hinata was about ten clones that looked exactly like her, but had an actual form. She looked over to Naruto, who had only…thirty clones? WTF? Each one of his clones bowed to him, showing true respect. Hinata looked at her clones to see the same thing from them.

Naruto was unsure what happened, but he gathered that he succeeded in making shadow clones. In front of him stood thirty clones with an actual body. They bowed to him, and a wide grin spread across his face. He succeeded, and so had Hinata he saw. He walked over to her, and gave her a giant kiss, tasting her salty lips once more.

Fireworks danced in his head, and Hinata looked like she was in Heaven. He felt the same way, and he knew that now, they would become unstoppable. He put his arm around her shoulders, and gestured over to the scroll. They walked over to it, the clones already beginning to study the works listed within.

Naruto noted a technique called 'shunshin' that teleported the user and other people in close proximity to the user towards a location within a three mile radius of their current position. This must be the technique used by the cougar. He began to note the requirements, and instructed his clones to begin training this jutsu. Ten rushed off to perform this task, while the others waited for commands to be relayed to them.

Hinata was looking for the resurrection jutsu that the couple had originally intended to use. This was the whole reason they stole the damn scroll. She memerized the details and had her ten clones also memerize them, just to be safe. She didn't want them to use the jutsu yet, to risky. Naruto apparently decided to take a few other techniques from the parchment as ten of his clones ran off into the forest nearby. She also noticed a ninjutsu about deflecting projectiles within the paper. It was apparently for Hyuugas only. She decided to make that her top priority now.

She looked over the details, and was amazed at what the unusual ability did. It looked like the user simply spun their body in a 360* degree and released chakra from their body creating a wall that halted the progression of all weapons that came within a few feet of the user. The only flaw was if the attack came from below, as the chakra only went to where the ground was. She still decided that it was worth knowing and studied every detail.

After about twenty minutes went by, Gimmy came out of the forest, followed by five Naruto clones. Everyone halted what they were doing, and rushed over to the six arrivals.

"It might be just me, but I think I'm seeing multiples of Naruto and Hinata."

Naruto (the original) walked over to Gimmy. "Chill dude, we just learned a new jutsu that clones us…to a degree."

Gimmy still looked confused, but he just nodded and decided to drop the subject. " So can you really bring Darry back? Please say yes! I don't think I can live without her! She was my life, and without her…I feel like a shell…"

Hinata understood that feeling, when Naruto went away to take his test, she felt the same loss. She knew that it was the right thing to do, bringing Darry back to life. Hinata also felt partially responsible for what happened to her anyways, being it was a Hyuuga that killed her. She nodded and grabbed his hand.

"Gimmy, I need a fond memory of Darry, this is the basis of the technique. Now think hard, and I will perform the jutsu."

Hinata began to run through the handsigns, with a lightning pace. Dog, dragon, rat, snake, rooster, tiger, ox, tiger, dragon, snake, dog. She finished molding her remaining chakra, exahstion looming over her. She felt Gimmy's memory, but couldn't see it. She released the chakra, and executed her jutsu.

The ground began to shake, and suddenly, a coffin erupted from the ground in front of Hinata. She had a feeling she knew what was inside. Gimmy had the same idea too. The wooden door opened, and out stepped Darry, looking like she did just yesterday.

"Wh-What happened, I was talking with Kamina for a moment, and next thing I know, I'm right here…Gimmy, is that you? B-But…That girl killed me! I felt it, and the cold embrace of death…wait…Hinata?…NO!…YOU DIDN'T…"

"Darry, I couldn't live without you. I just had to do this. Nothing in the world was the same without you. Please Darry, you have to understand!"

She walked up to Gimmy, and just stood there, looking at him. Then without warning, she slapped him across the face, a blush apparent on hers. Gimmy looked like he would cry, but then, Darry hugged him. It was the romantic reunion Hinata knew it would be. She walked over to Naruto, who placed his arm around her. They walked away, dispelling their clones, and receiving the knowledge that each had gained.

It was a happy ending for everyone, Hinata thought. She got to be with Naruto, Gimmy got to be with Darry, and the two ninjas learned a few jutsus. But Hinata just abandoned her family tonight, so a new problem arised. She could no longer return home to her disowned family. There was only one logical solution to this, and Hinata began to blush when it crossed her mind.

"Ummm, Naruto, since I no longer have a family or a home to return to, c-can I live at y-your h-house? I promise to help pay rent and such. I swear I won't be a burden."

Five thoughts ran through the head of the boy, three of them were perverse, two of those didn't even belong to him. Naruto felt his conscious shouting at him, but he couldn't hear it over Ryu's incessant laughter and goading.

_I can't believe what I'm hearing! Hinata, wants to stay at my house! Oh god, what do I do? I can't turn her down, she has no where to live! But if she stays with me…_

He suddenly got a nose bleed, and he fell to the ground unconscious, his face a deep red.

"N-Naruto-kun?"


	8. Chapter 8

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto was unsure what was going on right now. One moment, he was talking with Hinata about her moving in, the next he was thinking something perverse, the next he hit the ground, and finally, he was in some strange place. There were no walls, no ceiling, or even a ground for that matter! There wasn't even color, just white background. Naruto was confused as hell right now. Suddenly, a hand clasps onto his shoulder. Naruto stepped forward and spun around, trying to whip out a kunai. He found his pouch was empty, and quickly began to form the handsign for kage bunshin.

"Easy kid! I ain't gonna hurt ya!" Said the voice.

Naruto looked at the person that came out of nowhere. He was maybe a year or two younger than Gimmy. He had grayish-blue hair, wore no shirt, only a tattered cape. His stomach was bandaged heavily, like his arms, probably for looks. His shoulders had a strange, blue, tribal tattoo. He wore simple, black pants with two red lines going around the bottom. These were held up by a white belt with small hearts going around it in two perfect rows. The man carried a large katana, easily the best Naruto had ever seen. But the most impressive thing about him was his glasses. They were orange shades without legs, and they formed a big 'V' with an indent upward at the bottom. This man was among the coolest that Naruto had ever seen.

"While I do admit you look…cool? I don't think I can trust you…Who are you?"

The man looked like this is what he was waiting to hear. He inhaled deeply, and began his introduction.

"All across the world, there is but one name that strikes fear into the hearts of evil-doers! He is the judge, jury, and executioner of all planets, who looks back with no doubt or regret! He goes beyond the impossible and kicks reason to the curb! He is the indomitable Kamina, leader of the Dai-Gurren Brigade!"

He raised his fist into the sky, his index finger extended upward. Naruto gazed at this man, a look of interest and awe on his face. This guy made Naruto feel like he could trust him, and gave him confidence in himself. But something suddenly began to nag him, and Naruto had no clue what it was. It had to do with his name, he gathered…That's it!

"Hey, do you know someone by the name of Darry?"

"Darry, yeah she was a little girl that was a part of Team Gurren years ago. Last I talked to her was about ten minutes ago, then she just 'poofed' away," he snapped his fingers, "like that."

"Yeah that was my girlfriend's doing. Gimmy couldn't live without her, so we did him a favor and brought her back. It was kind of my fault she died anyway."

"Yeah she told me about it. She said she was going to find some chick named 'Hinata'?"

"That's my girlfriend…"

"…Oh."

"Anyways, I thought you were dead, so what's going on? Why am I here?"

"Right, about that! I needed to talk to you about something important!...Now I've been watching you Naruto, and I think you have what it takes to pilot Lagann like my Soul Brother, Simon. But there are still many things you need to learn to be efficient like him. You need to learn to release the burning passion that lives within your very essence. I can teach you these things, but I need to be able to talk to you whenever. As it stands now, I can only talk to you when you are unconscious…I think you know where I am going with this…"

Naruto understood what he meant. He was asking to be brought back to life to assist in Naruto's training. Hinata would be able to revive Kamina, and then things would really get interesting. Naruto could already see himself saving Konoha from some kind of alien invasion. Then he suddenly felt a splash of water on his face, but Kamina wasn't doing anything but standing there, looking at him.

"Looks like it's time for you to wake up. Well, I'll see ya soon kid."

Naruto felt another splash of water, and suddenly, everything around him changed. He opened his eyes, to see Gimmy, Darry, and Hinata standing over him. Darry was holding an empty bucket, Hinata looked like she'd seen Naruto die (that was what she was thinking actually) and had the same expression on her face that Gimmy had when Darry came back to life. They were still in the forest apparently, Naruto gathered. He sat up, and Hinata tackled him like she hadn't seen him in forever, they both wound up on the ground. Gimmy and Darry walked away, deciding to leave the pair alone. Naruto was about to ask where they were going, but he caught the memo, and thanked them silently. Was it just him, or were they holding hands? Naruto shook this thought out of his head. He didn't really care about their relation now, only the one he was wrapped up in…with Hinata. He stared into her beautiful eyes, and she stared into his.

"Naruto-kun, I was worried so much! I thought maybe we could live together, but when I asked, you started bleeding from the nose and passed out. Then you hit your head on a rock, and…blood everywhere."

She shivered, and Naruto wrapped his arms around her. He smelled lilac in her hair, and held her tighter. She placed her arms on his shoulders, and leaned into him.

"Don't worry Hinata, I'm fine. You caught me off-guard is all. Anyways, I think it's a good thing I passed out. I met Kamina, Gimmy and Darry's ex-leader, and he said he could train me. I think he may also be able to help you when you get a gunman. The only thing is, he's kind of…dead. Did you return the scroll yet?"

"No, but are you sure we should bring him back? What if it's some kind of trick being played by one of Team Gurren's enemies? We could put the entire universe at risk if we do this."

"Worry not, Hinata. Gimmy told me all about him when we were at the hospital. The guy is legit, and a bit…eccentric."

Hinata reached behind her, and pulled the Forbidden Scroll out of her pocket. She wasn't sure that they should use it. Hinata could barely produce enough chakra to do it once. What if she couldn't do it this time? What if something went wrong and it was someone evil? What if she…died? She voiced her concerns to Naruto, who simply stared into her eyes with a conviction that erased all her fears, and gave her boundless confidence. So long as she was with Naruto, she could do anything. Then Naruto took the scroll out of her hand, and removed the tape holding it closed.

"Hinata, I'm worried that you are right about that, so I'm going to do it in your place. I have plenty of chakra left, and whatever I can't generate, Ryu will share with me. I have no doubt this will work."

Naruto studied the jutsu, committing it to memory for future reference. He might need to revive other members of Team Gurren later, and he can't just keep the scroll with all of his country's jutsus. He made a mental note to return the scroll before the night ended.

He then turned to an empty space nearby and made the handsigns. He felt his chakra molding, and it felt like almost none of his reserves were barely tapped into for this technique. He held his conversation with Kamina as all that mattered at the moment. He released the chakra and the ground began to shake. A wooden coffin emerged from the ground, and Naruto walked over to it, a kunai ready just in case Hinata was right. He removed the cover, and braced himself. He looked inside, to find Kamina, asleep.

"*Snore*…BACON!"

This promptly freaked Naruto and Hinata the shit out, causing them to land flat on their asses. Hinata looked terrified, and swiftly brought out a kunai, prepared to fight this strange man. Naruto got up and smacked the shirtless man across the face. Hinata was slightly confused now. Why did Naruto slap this guy? Why was he not wearing a shirt? What the hell did bacon have to do with any of this?

"OW! Damn kid, did ya have ta slap me like that? And I was having a nice dream about bacon, eggs, and Bouta…Mmmmm, Bouta."

Hinata was a bit less confused now. She understood what he meant by bacon now, but what was Bouta? It made no sense to her…

"Kamina, control yourself. Your frightening my girlfriend. And what the hell is Bouta? Start making sense or get back in the coffin!"

This man…Kamina was it? He was starting to freak out Hinata. But she guessed it could be worse. At least Naruto had voiced her question, and she could end the headache she felt coming.

"Damn kid, ya really got what it takes to pilot Lagann. That takes spirit. But you also need a partner…Huh? Who's tha hottie Naruto?"

At this question, Naruto's face grew red with embarrassment, and Hinata did the same. Kamina laughed so hard, he fell on his ass, clutching his side. He continued this for three minutes, and Naruto was beginning to get annoyed and was about to slap him again. Before he got the chance though, Kamina stopped laughing, and stood up.

"Hahaha…Oh that was good. I get it kid, this is ya girlfriend huh? This is Hinata? Nice catch man."

"…Get back in the box…Now."

"No can do Naruto, death doesn't work like that. I gotta die all over again. So until that day, your stuck with me."

"Naruto-kun, can this guy really train us? I'm just not sure we should trust him."

"I'm starting to second-guess him too… Butt if he doesn't put out, we can just put him in the dirt again later, right?"

Hinata didn't like the sound of that. Naruto was basically saying to kill him if he didn't do what he was brought back to do. It wasn't something the normal Naruto would say, even if he was kidding. That wasn't his style, at least that was what she believed in.

"Please kid, you wouldn't stand a chance against the mighty Kamina!"

Naruto was afraid he was about to go into another speech again, and even though they sounded good, now was not the time. Besides, Naruto was getting the feeling that Kamina was all bark and no bite. He decided to test the waters…

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

"Kaga-wha?"

The area became clouded in smoke and when it cleared, there were fourteen Naruto clones surrounding the shirtless teen. He stared at the clones like they had grown wings, a tail, and devil horns. Then a smile spread across his face, and the guy unsheathed his sword. It was a long, plain katana that looked like it had never seen battle before. Nonetheless, Kamina knew how to use it.

When you are stuck in Heaven with nothing to do and no one to talk to, you find something to occupy your time with. For seven years, Kamina had only himself to train with. Then some of his old teammates from Team Gurren came along, and Kamina finally had a chance to practice with someone. Now he would finally have a chance to see what he could do. The look in Naruto's eyes said everything, and Kamina pointed his sword at the original.

"You want to fight me? Well then, I'd be happy to oblige. Just try not to bore me."

Hinata was scared, for both of them. On one hand, Naruto was an accomplished ninja trainee with clones and a demon fox at his disposal. On the other, she had no idea what Kamina was capable of. She was torn between rooting her love on, or warning the other guy to flee while he could. Then the sword wielder spoke up.

"Heh…Hehehehehe…Hahahaha. This ought to be interesting. Fifteen on one, and you can probably make more. I haven't had an interesting opponent like you since I fought Viral all those years ago. I wonder what he's doing right now? Probably still trying to take down all of the human race, to no avail. But I digress, let's get on with this fight. Show me what you can do, kid."

Naruto dashed forward, as did the clones. Kamina slashed at three of them, cutting them in half and dispelling them. The original Naruto jumped and pulled back his fist, ready to crash into this guy with enough force to send him about fifty feet back. But as he came close, Kamina noticed him and grabbed the fist as it came within inches of his face. He smirked and threw Naruto into a nearby tree. He smacked the trunk hard, and slid to the ground. All the clones vanished, covering the area in smoke. When it cleared, Kamina was standing over an unconscious Naruto. He picked up the blonde by his head, and Hinata knew it was all over.

Kamina head butted Naruto, sending him back into the tree. But as he crashed, Naruto 'poofed' away. Kamina noticed something on the ground, and gasped. There was a large hole where Naruto was laying down before. He heard something close by, and had a thought. He looked down, just as Naruto's fist collided with his face. Kamina was sent flying back in a large arch. He landed head-first into a massive oak, and passed out.

Naruto walked over to Hinata, and she hugged him tightly. That was amazing in her opinion. To create a hole and leave a clone to cover it while he positioned himself under Kamina was something that left her in awe of Naruto's ingenuity. She released him, and walked over to the unconscious teen, hoping he was still alive. Then something weird happened.

Kamina grabbed Hinata by the ankle, and pulled her close, making her fall flat on her ass. He put one arm around her stomach, and the other went under her neck. Hinat was so flustered, and was unable to do anything with her arms pinned to her sides by this guy. She looked up at Naruto, hoping he would contain himself, and not rip this guy a new one. Her eyes looked like they were pleading for help, and Naruto's face became red with anger, envy, and confusion. Ryu was acting like the usual ass he was inside Naruto's head.

"_Dude, I told you time and again: Tap that! Why can't you just listen to a simple suggestion for once in your life? You just lost the girl, and now you're going to be a virgin forever! HAHAHAHAHA! WHAT A LOSER!"_

…KILL…FOX…SOON…

"N-Naruto? P-Please help m-me…"

Hinata tried to wiggle out of Kamina's grip, but every time she moved, the guy just moved with her. Each time he did though, his hand on her stomach got closer to her chest. Naruto told her to not move, no matter what. She nodded slowly, and Naruto began to think up a plan, besides killing Kamina on the spot.

"Mmmmn, Yoko. You still have a nice set. C'mon, lets go for a walk. I know a place where we can…*snore*"

Hinata began to get extremely worried, as Kamina's hand was beginning to move on it's own now. One more inch and it would be…

"GET…YOUR…FILTHY HANDS…OFF…MY…GIRL!"

Hinata looked up to see Naruto glowing with…purple chakra? But his was blue, so how could it be purple now? It suddenly hit her that the fox had red chakra. Could it be possible that Naruto had mixed chakra with Ryu? But that was impossible, or so she believed.

Naruto lunged forward and grabbed Kamina by the head. He lifted the guy up, pulling Hinata up with him. Kamina's hands loosened up enough for her to slip out of his grip. The shirtless one opened his eyes, to see pure hate and malice glaring into his very soul. He cringed in fear, expecting to die again any moment. He probably would have, had Hinata not slapped Naruto across the face. He lost his grip on Kamina's head, and began to fall backwards, stepping with it to prevent falling on his ass again.

Kamina hit the ground face first, and came up with a mouthful of dirt. He spat it out, and glared at Naruto, who glared back. The one thing about Naruto was, he had KI control, and was currently releasing whatever he could, as well as whatever he forced the fox to release.

The result was Kamina feeling like his mind, body, and soul were being ripped apart. He tried to stand up, but found his legs refused to work, and his heart began to slow. Kamina couldn't think, and felt like he wasn't getting any air in. His vision clouded, and he shaked his head vigorously. What the hell was going on?

Hinata looked at Naruto, a worried expression on her face. Naruto was beginning to become extremely aggressive, which wasn't like him. At the rate things were going, Naruto would kill the next person to even LOOK at Hinata. She would have to help Naruto control this, one way or another.

"Naruto-kun, please stop. This fight has gone too far. I…I can't stand to see you fight."

"H-Hinata…"

"Just please stop it…" Hinata crumbled onto the ground, and placed her head in her arms. Her next word she said in between sobs.

"Y-Y-You can't j-just h-hurt people like th-that. What if y-you had k-k-killed him?"

At this point, Kamina was able to regain control of his body, and stood up. He walked over to Naruto, and extended a hand. Naruto looked at him with contempt, but accepted it. Naruto walked over to Hinata, and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. Naruto made a mental note to kick his own ass later. He was sure Ryu would be able to help with that.

"Hinata, I'm sorry. You're absolutely right. I know I can never made it up to you, but I will try. So help me God, I will die trying to make you happy…"

Kamina looked on, and decided to leave them alone. He grabbed his sword, and sheathed it. He pressed his shades up, and began to walk away.

"Kamina!"

"What kid? I need food, and talking with you is only gonna make my hunger worse."

"…Apologize to Hinata, it's the right thing to do."

"Heh, you got me there. Fine then, Hinata, I'm sorry that you had to witness that event, and I promise it won't happen again… Okay then. Now that we've settled that, can we head into town? Food is calling and I want to find a place to sleep."

Naruto stood up, still holding Hinata. They walked over to Kamina, where Naruto placed his hand on the guy's shoulder. Naruto pulled an image of Ichiraku's shop into his head, and willed his chakra into action. He told everyone to close their eyes, andas he did, he released the chakra. He opened them to see the were in front of Ichiraku's and told them they could open their eyes now. Kamina began to sniff the air.

"…FOOD!"

"Yeah, it's called ramen. It's really good, so I eat here frequently. Cmon guys, everything is on me."

Hinata was confused right now. How did they get from the Hokage Memorial clearing, to Ichiraku's shop in a single second? Did they teleport? She decided not to worry about that now, and just enjoy being in Naruto's company. They'd have a nice meal, go home, go to bed…Hinata blushed deeply. That was why Naruto passed out! She shook her head, trying to remove the thoughts…for now.

"Hey Ichiraku! Can I get three bowls of veggie ramen, two bowls of pork ramen, and one shrimp ramen?..No they are not all for me! I have a friend and someone special to me here. I'm treating them to dinner…WHAT? Okay just please get them ready, I'll be back in a moment."

Naruto stepped out from the shack, his face had a look of worry on it.

"Guys, I'll be right back. I need to get some money right quick."

Naruto vanished, leaving Hinata alone with Kamina.

"So Kamina…Who's Yoko?"

"…How the hell do you know her? I never told you guys about Yoko."

He said it with a low voice, like it was top secret or something.

"You mentioned her in your sleep when Naruto knocked you out. You grabbed me and began to…touch me…You mentioned Yoko. Then Naruto got angry and you woke up."

"…She was…special to me. Just like you are to Naruto."

He looked up at the stars that blanketed the sky. To him, they held memories of his father, of the desert, and all the adventures he had with his soul brother. He remembered Gurren, Viral, Daiaka, Rossiu, and Yoko. He remembered that last night he had with her. That kiss, his promise, he felt like a loser now. How would he ever face her?

"Damn, I feel like an ass. She's probably found someone else by now. I wonder if…she still remembers that night?"

"Why wouldn't she? If you remember, the she would too right? Just because times have changed, and something seems impossible, doesn't mean that all hope is lost! Sometimes, you just have to try until nothing is left, and your soul had taken the final blow. If the world always forgot, then what would we have left that truly defined us?'

"…Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"…Naruto is lucky to have you…And thanks."

"For what?"

"Showing me how weak I really am. I guess I just have to…hold on to that sliver of hope longer."

He reached up, hand extended into the sky. Hinata saw tears form in his eyes. He closed his hand, like he was trying to grab something in the sky. He began to shake, and Hinata was about to comfort him, when Naruto reappeared with a coin purse shaped like a frog.

"OKAY! I got the money, so dig in guys, eat as much as you wa-"

Hinata was sitting at her chair, feeling guilty, even though she did nothing wrong. Kamina was sitting down, about to begin eating. Naruto grabbed a seat in between them. He put the money down, and Ayame brought out the food. Hinata broke her chopsticks, as did Naruto. Kamina was confused. How the hell do these work? Is it some kind of fork? What the hell were those two doing? Kamina decided to try it…

He broke the stick, and placed them in his hand like he saw Naruto doing. He tried to grab some noodles, but found they wouldn't hold. He tried again, and again, and again. Ayame looked at the strange man, who failed to do what a five-year-old could do with ease. She guessed he was from out of town (in a way, she was right, but he is actually from another planet where chopsticks don't exist). She reached over, and instructed him how to use them. After he finally got it, she walked away, leaving the trio alone.

"…Naruto, Hinata?"

"Beha (yeah)?" asked Naruto.

"…Thanks…For everything…"

"*Gulp* Ahh!..No problem Kamina! You're one of us now, so relax."

"Yes Kamina-san, we are happy to have you."

"…Heh, thanks…Also, can you do me a favor? Can you two call me…Aniki?"

"…Brother?" The two said in unison.

"…Heh, guess I'm just feeling nostalgic or something. Forget I said anything."

"Okay then, Aniki." said Naruto.

"…*sigh*…Guess that makes us…Soul Brothers…and Sister…Heh. What an interesting world this is…"

The two genin and their friend ate their ramen in silence…


	9. Chapter 9

The Uzumaki Brigade

Sarutobi groaned as he put his Hokage robes over his battle armor. The things were not only heavy, they made him sweat like a fat boy during PE(trying to keep his sanity beside Shikamaru, Choji sneezed very violently. The sheer force behind it send the jiggling ball of flesh on top of his friend. To Shikamaru, it felt like a steam-roller attacked him!). The old man sighed, and walked out of the room, glancing at his clock one last time. It read, 4:21 a.m., and Sarutobi had a feeling it would be a very long day. If there was one thing the old man learned, it was that his feelings were usually right and they only came when something ominous was to happen. He felt it two nights ago on the meteor shower, and it was right. The strange thing was that he felt more than one that night, but the second vanished ten minutes before the Uchiha Purge (the name of the event that erased most of the Uchihas). Either way, he had a feeling now, and he grew worried.

Suddenly, an orange blur flashed past Sarutobi, heading in the direction of the Scroll Library. He dashed after the unidentified object, ditching the uncomfortable robes as he went. He stopped at the door to the Library, knowing that it was the only way in or out of there. He readied his chakra, planning of burning the intruder to a crisp. He listened closely, and heard to slow, calm slap of sandals on tile.

Sarutobi saw the intruder, and was about to release his jutsu. But before he opened his mouth to spit out a stream of fire, he identified who it was, and pulled his chakra back, scorching his mouth at the same time. It felt like eating a flaming marshmallow dipped in acid with salt covering the exterior. His eyes watered, and he shouted out in pain.

Naruto was extremely freaked out. Not only had he been busted returning the Scroll, but it was by the Old Man! But the strange part was when the guy shouted out in pain. Naruto thought he saw small embers flare out of his nostrils. It freaked Naruto out so much, he fell flat on his ass, crashing into a shelf and knocking the contents all over him. Naruto knew where this was going to go…

"…Naruto…Uzumaki…"Sarutobi said in between gasps, "WHAT…THE…HELL…ARE…YOU…DOING?"

"…Would you believe me if I told you I was returning something?" Naruto put a guilty, yet childish smile on his face. It seemed to say, 'I did it for a good cause'.

Sarutobi had encountered this look only three times in his life, all of them were from Naruto. But each time they told the truth, so he felt like he could belive him. But before he could clear Naruto, he had to get the full story.

"…Tell me everything…" He gasped.

They walked back into the old man's room, reclaiming his robes from the halls. After twenty minutes, Sarutobi had the entire story. While it was hard to believe, he did recall a Hyuuga dispute yesterday. It also explained those strange pieces of metal found at the Hokage's clearing, the personal training ground of every Hokage. Only ANBU and people close to the Hokage knew of its existence.

"…This is a predicament. You used not only one jutsu, but THREE! We are just lucky that you used the secret grounds instead of the other training areas. But if what you say is true, then we could have a war on our hands, one that ninjas alone can't win. While I hate to admit this, I need you to take position as leader of this group, and prevent the civilians from discovering the war."

"I will allow one exception to the genin team rules, and you may recruit your classmates for the upcoming events. But they must have worked with you for one c-ranked mission, and accept you as a leader. Also, if you can provide them with…what did you call them, gunmen? They will be our best defense against those things."

"…SERIOUSLY! I…get to lead an army? I get to recruit my friends for this? W-Well how many am I allowed?"

"…As a precaution, you can start off with ten for your crew...Yet I feel like that won't be enough…How good is your taijutsu?"

"About as good as Choji when he tries to go on a diet." This man the old man smirked, and he began to crack up.

"Tell you what Naruto, I'll grant you weapon access and jutsus, in case you have to fight an armed opponent without your…Lagann was it? I have the perfect weapons for you."

The Hokage walked over to his dresser, and pushed it aside, revealing a door outline on the wall. Sarutobi pushed it inward, and it moved in a few inches, then slid it the right. Inside was a small alter, decorated with ceremonial fans, drawings, and poems. In the center were two swords, each exactly the same, with an engraved sheath on both. Sarutobi pulled out the weapons, and he stared at them with something that resembled strong memories to Naruto.

"These…are Nodaichi. They belonged to my grandfather when he was a Ninja, during the time of the First Hokage. It is said these were forged by a legendary smith, who infused them with the soul of an angel. They supposedly held some kind of power that could only be released by people chosen by the swords. I…was not chosen, but I feel like they are speaking to me now. They ask to be placed in your hands, to feel your soul…Here."

He placed the swords in Naruto's hands, at which point, they began to glow. The two nudity pulsed white, beginning to match Naruto's heartbeat. He looked at the guard, it curbed down if front of the hilt. Naruto guessed it was to protect his hands from incoming blows. He slipped on the strap from one sheath, and held the other in his hands tightly. He gripped the hilt, and slowly pulled the sword from it's case.

The weapon itself was glowing brightly, to the point where both the people in the room were nearly blinded. It was engraved with a unique tribal pattern from guard to blade tip. It felt light as a feather, and Naruto liked the feel. Then the pulsing stopped, and something weird happened…

_M-Master?_

What the…

"Old man, did you hear that?"

"Hmm? No, I heard nothing. But the First was said to repeatedly talk to his swords like they had a soul. Have you heard something?"

"I-It was a voice. A girl's voice, and she called me 'master'."

"Then I think you might have been chosen Naruto…Keep these swords, they are my gift to you, in hope that they will assist you during times of need."

"Th-Thank you sir! I will treat them with care."

Naruto bowed and walked out of the room, placing the nudity within it's sheath and slipping it on over his other shoulder. He walked down the hall, and suddenly stopped when he passed the Armory. He took a few steps back, an idea forming in his head. He opened the doors quietly, weary of other people around. He looked at the tools on the walls, shelves, and chests within the room. He saw katanas, knives, slingshots, and bows. Naruto quietly browsed the weapons, looking for something particular, he had no idea what it was though.

Naruto suddenly stopped in his tracks, and looked at the tool beside him. It was a sickle, with a rabbit engraved on the blade. It was perfect in Naruto's opinion, and he put it in his shirt, then he shunshined out of the room, reappearing in front of his apartment. He opened the door, and immediately smelled eggs, toast, and ham. It was strange to him, since he never bought those things. He walked in and found Hinata at his stove, a pan in her hands, eggs, ham, and toast on a plate on the counter. She had made him breakfast, and that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him. He felt a single tear flow down his cheek.

"Naruto-kun, hi! I made you breakfast. I figured you might be hungry after all that happened, so I went to the store and bought some food so I could make you this. I hope you like it."

Naruto sat down, and picked up a fork. He cut his eggs, and soaked them in the yoke. He placed it in his mouth, and chewed thoughtfully. It tasted good, and he began to dig in, consuming every scrap of egg on the plate. He proceeded to the toast, which was dry, but had a tasteful crunch to it. The ham was moist and was devoured within seconds. It was a delicious, and Naruto liked Hinata even more for her cooking ability (even though he thought it was impossible to like her more).

As he got up, Hinata sat down and began to eat her share. Naruto took his plate to the sink, and began to scrub it down. He looked back and saw Hinata was finished. He took her plate too and began to clean it as well.

Hinata thought it was nice of Naruto to clean for her. But it felt like she was back in her clan, where everyone waited on her. She had left them to be with Naruto, so why should he do the work?

"Hey Hinata, when I finish these, I need to tell you something. Can you wait a minute?"

"Sure Naruto-kun!"

A minute later, they were sitting on the bed, and Naruto pulled the sickle out of his shirt. Hinata looked at it and gasped. It had a rabbit on it, something that made her think of Minato, who had been quiet since the bathroom incident.

"Where did you get this Naruto?"

"The Armory in the Hokage's Tower. Same place I got these swords. Let me explain what happened…"

Naruto told her about what Sarutobi said: the mission, the recruiting, and the weapons. When he mentioned hearing a female voice in the sword, she got a bit ticked off, but she didn't let it show. He said that he thought the weapon rule should apply to her, and so he grabbed her a weapon. The fact that it was a sickle with a rabbit on it just struck Naruto as perfect.

"I think it has some sort of ability too. So I picked it up for you."

"Thank you Naruto, but are you sure that it was a good idea? What if they come looking for it?"

"Then I take full blame and explain the weapon situation to the Hokage. I'm sure he would understand."

Then they heard a knock at the door. Naruto got up and opened it, seeing that it was his landlord. Naruto was expecting some kind of ear-splitting shriek to come out, but the man spoke in a calm voice, with a creepy smile on his face.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I have been informed that you now have someone sharing a room with you. Under normal circumstances, you would be thrown out like a beggar, but this time it is different. Lord Hokage has instructed me to send you to another complex where you will receive new living quarters. Your new apartment is a single room apartment with two beds, a large shower, and reasonable rent. That being said, you have ten minutes to retrieve and move out all of your valuables before you will be unable to return and everything will become my property. Thank you for your patronage, I hope to NEVER see you again."

He walked away, leaving Naruto and Hinata to digest what he said. So the old man had given them an upgrade huh? They were glad about this, but Naruto was going to miss this place. No, not the landlord, but the secret cabinet, and the tar for his glue. They held importance in his heart…at least until he remodeled his other place with a cabinet and found tar in the new basement. Hinata was also depressed as the new place had two beds and the two would not be able to share a single. She had looked forward to snuggling with Naruto.

"Hey Hinata, I'm going to scope out the new place. I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't worry about packing, I'll be back to help with that."

Naruto dashed out of the room, to where he had no idea. He forgot to ask the landlord where to go. But he figured the man wouldn't tell for his life, just to torture Naruto. He didn't care, he'd ask the Old Man where to go. It was also a good chance to thank him for the new room.

Hinata wasn't sure what to do since Naruto had said not to pack yet. She decided that maybe she could get all the food ready, as well as her few pieces of clothing she grabbed before leaving the Hyuuga district. She walked over to the closet to grab her stuff. She slid the door open to see orange all over the small space. She didn't realize Naruto had TWENTY sets of that orange suit. When they went shopping, they'd have to fix that…

Naruto shunshined back into the room a minute later.

"Okay Hinata, I got the address, so let's get packing!"

Naruto looked around, seeing that they only had a few pieces of furniture, some food, clothing, and toiletries. They could easily get all of this in a single load. Naruto pulled out the scroll with the new address on it. He went to the front door earlier, just to make his job simpler. Yet he didn't go inside as he wanted Hinata to see it with him. They wrapped everything up, and summoned Ryu on the roof. He was to carry it for a minute while they shunshined. Naruto placed the image in his head, and they were there with a 'poof'.

"Would you like the honor Hinata?"

Hinata nodded and walked over to the door. She twisted the knob, and the pair gasped…


	10. Chapter 10

The Uzumaki Brigade

As Hinata opened the door, she felt a short surge of chakra. It wasn't hers, and it didn't feel like Naruto's, so who did it belong to? She opened the door all the way, and gasped.

"M-Mizuki sensei? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I came to congratulate my two favorite pupils, not only on passing the test, but forming a relationship and moving in together with a single day. It really is quite impressive."

Hinata didn't like things at the moment. How did he know about the two of them? How did he find their new place that they got today? Something wasn't right, and Hinata had to find out. She knew she couldn't come out and ask what he was really here for, so she needed to be discreet and make him slip up.

"Mizuki-sensei, we are glad you are here. Can you help us unpack? It isn't much and should only take a minute."

Mizuki's smile vanished instantly, but returned just as fast. Hinata noticed this and knew he had some sort of plan for them. Whatever it was, she had the feeling it wouldn't be good.

"Uhhh, sure Hinata, I guess I have a bit of spare time."

As they began to unpack, she opened her mental link with Minato, hoping he could help her put things together.

"_What do you think Minato? Something is really suspicious here."_

_Good call missy, I can feel his evil intentions. Also, I can sense anger BLAZING off of him when he looks at Naruto. If I recall, Mizuki was a student when the Fox went berserk, so he might be feeling really pissed at Naruto right now. Whatever his plans are, they are DEFINITELY not good._

They packed everything in silence, and it gave Hinata plenty of time to formulate a plan. All she had to do was go with it, and when Mizuki wasn't expecting it, she'd pull the truth out of him, and make him beg for his life…Wait…What? Where did that come from? Naruto's murderous personality was beginning to rub off on her. That or the fox is slowly possessing them. Hopefully the second one.

"Mizuki, did you have something for us? I get the feeling you didn't come here JUST to talk."

"Good call Hinata! I need you two to help me with something. As you know, a meteor recently killed off most of the Uchihas. The ANBU, most Jounin, and even the Hokage have been trying to use a resurrection jutsu within the Forbidden Scroll. Unfortunately we can't produce enough chakra to do it all at once. We have lost ten of our best ninjas and are currently unable to continue with the assignment. This is where you two come in. I need you guys to contribute your chakra to the jutsu and help revive the Uchiha Clan. We know that you have some control over the Fox's chakra Naruto, so it should be possible to do this now. Are you willing to help?"

Hinata knew where this was going now. He wanted them to steal the Forbidden Scroll now. But there wasn't any solid evidence to bust him with committing a federal offense yet. Hinata decided to go with it some more and see if she could get a time and place for everything to go down.

"Yes sensei! But we will need the scroll, and a place to do it at."

"We got that covered. Just meet me at the Discipline Shack in the forest behind the Academy. Also, can you bring the scroll with you? I'll send a message clearing you for it. Let's meet at Ten o'clock okay?"

The duo nodded and Mizuki jumped out the window, for where, Hinata didn't care. But she had an idea, and she was sure Naruto would go with it.

"Naruto-kun, do you understand why he was here?"

"…He wants us to steal him the scroll…I bet you got a plan, am I right?"

"Yes, but I need one thing from you. I need you to teach me that teleport jutsu of yours."

"Hmm? Oh, you mean how to shunshin! No problem, it's very simple. Just make the handsign for Rat and think of a place within a 3 kilometer range of where you want to go. It doesn't take much chakra, unless you carry multiple people."

"Hmmm…"

Hinata did what Naruto said, and she disappeared with a 'poof'. Naruto wasn't sure where she decided to go, but he knew she'd be back in a second.

"BOO!"

Naruto heard a loud cry from behind and face-planted onto the floor. He heard laughing and got up, turning around. Hinata was standing just a few feet behind him. That little sneak! Naruto instantly got an idea.

"Good one Hinata! Let's see how you handle mine though!"

He vanished without making the handsign, and Hinata looked around the room for him. When she found he was nowhere in the room, she turned to go and sit on her bed. As she turned, she felt lips crash into hers, and opened her eyes. Naruto had never vanished, he simply made it seem like he vanished. Then when she turned back, he planted one on her. It was a clever little trick, and she liked it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he placed his hands on her hips.

They heard a knock at the door, and without breaking the kiss, they looked over at the door. Standing in it was Naruto's new teammate, Shikamaru.

"How troublesome…Is this how you are gonna be on every mission Naruto? Maybe I can ask for a new team? Nah, too much work. Anyways, I heard you and Hinata moved in, so I thought I might come by and see you two. Congrats."

"Now what is the REAL reason you're here Shikamaru?"Asked Naruto.

"Heh, saw through me eh? Well my mom kicked me out of the house, something about cleaning up after two lazy bastards. She said that I should do something productive with my free time and if I didn't, then I'd have to find a new place to live. Since you two seem to have some free time as well, you guys want to just hang out and talk?"

Hinata estimated her and Naruto had about twelve hours before they had to steal the scroll and meet Mizuki. Since there were no missions, let alone teams, they could just talk with a friend. But something seemed out of place right now. Something about the area AROUND Shikamaru… That was it!

"Where's Choji? Isn't he like, always hanging out with you?"

"He went out to eat with his father. I already tried to visit him, and got rejected. So here I am…"

"Okay then. Since me and Hinata are free, and it would be a good idea to get to know my new teammate, let's go up to the roof."

"…'Kay."

The trio walked up to the roof, talking about random stuff along the way. When they reached the roof, Naruto and Hinata sat down on the bench nearby, and Shikamaru just walked into the sunlight, and laid down on the hot, sun baked ground. They sat there in silence for a minute. Shikamaru looking at the clouds, Naruto looking around, getting a feel for his new home, in the middle class district, and Hinata looking at Naruto, then to Shikamaru, then back to Naruto.

She was trying to figure out how those two had been paired onto the same team. Naruto was a bit hyperactive, while Shikamaru was always calm. Naruto had not that much intelligence, while Shikamaru was of average intelligence. Things were a bit confusing right now. And who would be their third teammate? Hinata was sure it wasn't her, and there was NO WAY it was Sakura, Sasuke, or that Sylvia bitch! So who the hell was their third teammate?

"Hey Naruto-kun, I've been wondering…Who is your last teammate?"

"*Sigh*…That Kurenai chick never told me. So I doubt she would remember to tell you. It's all so…troublesome…"

"I hope it's someone good. Someone that will be perfect for my crew."

Shikamaru turned his head to look at Naruto now. Either he was curious about what Naruto said, or his eyes hurt from staring into the sun for five minutes straight…Probably the second one.

"Your crew? What are you talking about Naruto? Are you going to form a mob or something? If so, I'll have to tell the Hokage, no matter how troublesome it is."

"Okay, a few things Shikamaru. One, it's not a mob, but I can't tell you…yet. Two, why do you always talk about things being troublesome?"

"…What? I wasn't listening."

"To hell with you!"

"Well I'd be there right now, if the escalator down wasn't broken. That, and the fact that my mother is there now…"

Naruto and Hinata stared at Shikamaru with a WTF look on their face. They knew Shikamaru was weird, but that was just completely random.

"…Oh, I almost forgot." Shikamaru looked at Hinata. "Owls?"

"…Uhhh, what?"

"Owls?"

"Shikamaru, what are you asking me?"

"Fine then! Pickles?"

"…"

"How about mongoose?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Well that answers my question."

Shikamaru got up, stuck his hands in his pockets, and left. The duo just stared after him with an extremely confused look on their faces. They looked at each other, then got up, and walked back to the room.

"Hinata, when you find out what team you are on, can you see if you can change with Shikamaru?"

Hinata plopped down onto her new bed, feeling the softness of the sheets. She sighed heavily and looked at Naruto.

"I wish I could, but the decision is not up to me. All choices are made by the Jounin sensei. And once they have made their decisions, only the Hokage is allowed to change squads."

"…Shit."

_Master is upset?_

_**He'll live…**_

Naruto looked around with haste. Where did those voices come from? Who did they belong to? After being silent for so long Ryu finally spoke up.

_Ha! You're more dense then I thought kid! You can't even remember what happened earlier today!_

Naruto wanted to use a powerful stinging comeback, but his mind was so tangled up with the voices and Shikamaru's weirdness, he just lost all sense of mental control. He sighed, and placed his hand over the area of his head that began to throb. If this continued, he would have to commit suicide again.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay? You look like you need to rest."

"You're probably right Hinata. I haven't slept since before graduation exams. Maybe I should rest my head for a minute."

Naruto walked over to his bed, clutching his skull tightly. It felt like a fire was burning in his skull right now. He felt like shit, and he thought he probably looked as bad too.

'Do you need some aspirins or something Naruto?"

"One would be nice, but we don't have any."

"I'll go to the store and grab some for you."

"Actually, I think I will just try to sleep. It'll be faster that way."

"Well I need to head into town anyway, being as Mizuki took what little food we had left. I'll grab some aspirins, some ramen cups, and a few other things while you sleep."

"Okay then. Do you need any money?"

"No, Father left me a bank account with enough money to sustain us for about three months. I'll just delve into that for now. I'll be back in an hour. Ciao!"

Naruto watched as the door closed, and sighed. He was exhausted, and his chakra was low too. He had shunshined at least ten times the last twelve hours. It didn't help that he had done it with three people, then two people. It was now taking its toll on his body. Naruto's head hit the pillow, and he was out like a light.

He had the sensation of floating right now. He opened his eyes, and found he was in a white area like with Kamina before. The only difference was that there was a small portion of black within the vicinity. He looked around, trying to find someone, to no avail.

"_Hehehe…Master is funny! He looks for us, even though we are right in front of him."_

"_**Pathetic! We chose this guy to be our master? That Hinata girl looked more capable that this sack of useless flesh!"**_

Naruto turned his head to the sound of the voices. They were the ones that he heard earlier. Both of them were clearly female, but there was a distinct difference between them. One had a soft, innocent voice; the other had a strong, angry voice. Naruto was seriously confused right now. Was he dreaming, or was this some sort of vision?

"_Master, if you want to see us, then you must create a form for us. Try it based off of our voices."_

"_**Just don't make us look retarded, or like sluts! I will rip your head off if I don't like my appearance!"**_

"_Ohhh! Ohhh! Me first! Me first!"_

Naruto was confused, but he decided to go with it and see where this took him. He focused on the soft voice, trying to find something that he thought suited her voice. He shut his eyes, creating the image slowly.

"_YAY! I LIKE IT!"_

Naruto opened his eyes, to see an angel in front of him. It wasn't your standard robe-wearing angel though. She wore white clothing, but across the chest area, a large, cracked red heart pinned her strange, shoulder less garment to her body. At the back of her head was a pair of small angel-like wings. She had a halo that was held up by a single loose strand of hair. Her face was slightly childish, but her voice was that of a teen's. She also had long, flowing, light blue hair. On her left leg was a white piece of clothing. She had a strange, thin tail with a heart at the end. To Naruto, she seemed so innocent. He liked the way she looked, most likely because that was what he pictured her as. She was almost as beautiful as Hinata…Almost.

"_**Hmph! How stereotypical. Now do me, and hurry up!"**_

Naruto cringed at this sudden demand. This girl was clearly an aggressive type of person. Naruto knew instantly what he wanted her to look like.

"_**HA! I LIKE IT! Not bad kid, you got the right idea!"**_

It was basically like the previous outfit, just black, with a large crack down the middle of the heart. Instead of angel wings, she had little bat-like wings that were actually on the shoulder. In place of a halo, she had two small tufts of spiky hair that resembled horns. She even had a cute little devil tail to go with it.

"_It definitely suits you! Hooray for Master!"_

The two girls looked like twins; the only difference was their outfits. It matched their personalities.

"So uhhh…Who are you two? Where is this?"

The angel looked at the devil like this was a pleasant day at the park. The devil looked at the angel like it was annoying and she sighed.

"_I'm Nina, a water spirit. I represent kindness, affection, and all positive emotions! I embody the goodness that resides within everybody!"_

The devil girl reached into her clothing behind the heart piece, and pulled out a small card. She began to read off of it.

"_***Sigh*…I'm Dinah, also a water spirit. I represent hate, evil, and all negative emotions. I embody the darkness within everyone's soul. Yadda, yadda, yadda, seven deadly sins. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Okay then. Now that we have introductions out of the way, let's get down to business."**_

"_Yay! We get to help Master!"_

Naruto was more confused now than ever. He had created an angel and a devil, and they said they were some kind of spirit. It was too much for him. Suddenly, the angel appeared just inches from his face, breaking his thoughts.

"_Master, are you okay? Do you need me to give you a hug?"_

"_**You are such a child…He's just trying to piece things together when you broke into his thoughts. Also, I wouldn't get to close to him. I CAN mess with his emotions still, remember?"**_

"_No one can control Master! But you are right Dinah… Master, I am sorry if I got in the way! Please forgive me!"_

"Uhhh…sure. But just what are you two?"

"_***Sigh*…I hate that question…Nina, you can answer it this time…"**_

"_Yay! Master, we are your new friends. We are the Sisters of the Sword."_

"S-Sisters of the Sword?.."

"_**Remember those swords you got from that old geezer? We've inhabited those things for one hundred years, ever since that damn smith captured us and used our essence to forge those accursed pieces of metal."**_

The devil girl…Dinah? She looked to the side and pouted. Naruto was curious about their past, but he instantly erased that thought. This girl would probably kill him if he even tried to ask. Suddenly, the other girl was in his face again. He broke out of his thoughts, and began to back up. As he did, he felt a hand behind him. He was pushed forwards with little force, but he was off balance, making him move far. The end result was him crashing into the angel. Naruto felt something on his lips and opened his eyes. They widened VERY quickly when he saw that he had landed on Nina and was now kissing her…


	11. Chapter 11

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto got up immediately. It was so weird, kissing another girl. The only one he had ever kissed was Hinata, and that was the only girl he ever WANTED to kiss.

"OH I'M SO SORRY NINA! I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

"_**HAHAHAHAHA! THAT WAS PRICELESS! I COULD NOT HAVE TIMED THAT MORE PERFECTLY! I thought 'is this in bad taste'? But it was SO worth it!"**_

Naruto blushed a deep red. Dinah had pushed him into Nina, who looked like she would cry. Naruto wasn't sure what to say to her. What do you say to someone you just kissed by accident? Then the weirdest thing happened.

As he went to help Nina up and apologize one more time, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Naruto found he couldn't move at all, and was pinned in this awkward position. Who would've guessed that a little girl had the strength of an ox? The bad part was that she was cutting off his oxygen supply, and he couldn't breathe.

"_Master, I'm so sorry! I got too close and Dinah pushed you into me! It's all my fault!"_

"Nina, its fine. It's not your fault. You are in no way, blamed for this. But Dinah definitely has to take the blame."

"_**Typical. Just blame it all on the evil girl…"**_

"_But Master, you only kiss Hinata-chan. It is wrong for me to kiss you as well."_

"True, I am reserved for Hinata. But I think it's fine if it was an accident."

"_**Oh…My…God… GET ANGRY AT HER YOU JACKASS! SHOW SOME RAGE ALREADY!"**_

Naruto sighed. He didn't want to get angry at anyone. True he kissed Nina, but it wasn't the Angel's fault! Truthfully, he kind of liked it. The kiss tasted like vanilla ice cream. Naruto blushed deeply at this. What was he saying? But he supposed that Dinah was right, and he had to get angry at someone.

Naruto walked over to Dinah, and grabbed her by the shoulders. He pulled her in, and forced a kiss unto her. It tasted like caramel, and Naruto kind of liked this kiss too. He blushed at this, and his grip on Dinah loosened up. She noticed this, and quickly pushed off of Naruto, causing both of them to fall flat on their asses.

Dinah began to spit and gag herself, trying to remove the taste and memory. It wasn't that she hated to be kissed, no. It was that this complete stranger had forced himself all over her. She felt her anger rising rapidly. How could someone so…VILE... kiss her like that? It was an insult to her pride. She thought about it, and blushed. True, she hated Naruto for forcing that kiss. But she kind of liked it at the same time. It had a sweet, sugary taste to it.

Dinah shook her head violently, trying to dispel the strange effect Naruto had placed on her. Yeah, she was sin incarnate, but even she didn't like little tricks that controlled her mind. That was her job to do to him!

"_M-MASTER! WHAT ABOUT HINATA? HOW COULD YOU?"_

"Easy Nina, I just let her have a taste of defeat is all. I figured that if she could dish it out, then she could take it. I wasn't expecting her to use tongue though…"

"_**How…How DARE YOU!"**_

Naruto and Nina looked over at Dinah, who looked like she would kill Naruto right now. Her fists were clenched so tightly, her nails began to dig into her skin, causing blood to drip down from her hands. Her eyes were glowing red with anger, and they grew darker with every second, until they were blood red. An evil aura began to circle her, sending a typhoon of chakra at Naruto. The raw power behind everything astounded Naruto. If this was her power without releasing it, then what could she do if she tried? Naruto didn't want to find out.

"_**You dare to kiss ME, sin incarnate, the one thing that could kill you like the tiny INSECT you are?"**_

Naruto made the handsign for shadow clones, hoping that it would be enough to stop her. He suddenly realized that Ryu's chakra wasn't there. Had the bastard pulled it back already? Naruto tried to force out the jutsu. When nothing happened, he tried again, and again, all to no avail. His chakra had been completely locked away!

"_**It's no use VERMIN! I sealed it away when you entered this place! You have no chakra, no allies, and no CHANCE!"**_

"_Wrong Dinah! Master has me!"_

"_**And what can an insignificant little PIXIE do to me?"**_

"…_I can unseal his chakra."_

Nina extended a hand, holding it out at Naruto's head, with her palm open, fingers extended upward. She made the handsign for rat with her other hand, and Naruto felt a typhoon erupt around them. He noticed his chakra, which was normally not visible to the human eye. It shone a brilliant blue, then silver. Naruto felt power surge within him, and it began to mold on its own.

Nina lowered her hand, and looked at Naruto. She stared into his eyes, and he stared into hers. He saw absolute kindness within them, the kind he had only seen once before, in Hinata's eyes. Nina blushed lightly, thinking about the kiss she had received from the man she now deemed 'Master". It had a sweet, rich taste to it. Truthfully, she had wished he hadn't broken it, but she could never reveal that to anyone, especially Dinah. The devil would use this against Nina for all eternity. But right now, her main priority was to protect Naruto and free Dinah from her fit of rage.

"_Master, you cannot fight her. She is too powerful for you to handle. I must fight her in your place, and protect you from the evil that is called Dinah."_

"N-Nina, I-I can't let you fight her either. But I see that you are as stubborn as me, so we will fight her together."

"_**One of you or two, I care not! You will both meet the same gruesome end."**_

Dinah raised a hand the same way Nina had done before. But instead of making the Rat handsign, she made the Ox handsign. A dark aura began to form around her hand. Pure chakra began to gather into a ball in front of her palm, it emitted a foul smell and was filled with evil intentions.

"_**Dark reigns over the world of Night, blanketing all that would be Light! Destroying all that is deemed Right, I will unleash my power to end this Fight! DARK PULSE!"**_

The ball of energy surged forward with increasing speed. Naruto, however, was prepared for this, and released a mass of five hundred clones. Each clone had assembled into a large wall, covering Nina and Naruto from the attack. As the pulse reached the wall, it exploded with a loud 'crack', dispelling every clone instantly. Nina had also erected a shield of light, protecting the two from the aftershock of the attack.

Naruto looked over at Nina, who was collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. He bent down to help her, and she grabbed onto him tightly. Naruto felt her hands digging into his arms, causing blood to trickle out and down his forearms. It made him wish he had a summoning jutsu at his disposal…Wait…That's it!

Naruto released himself from Nina's grasp, and stood up. Nina tried to as well, but found she had to lean on Naruto for support. Naruto made the Tiger handsign, and created the image of the one thing that would win him the fight.

He forced all of his chakra into it, and released it all in one large burst. He looked in front of him, observing the smoke for what he hoped would save the duo from the wrath of the devil girl. As the smoke cleared, the Angel gasped, seeing a strange red object in front of her. What had Naruto brought to this battle?

Dinah was confused, when her attack had failed, she felt her mana (chakra) disappear almost entirely. She had fallen to the ground, exhaustion written on her face. She looked up to see Nina in the same condition. She didn't want to admit it, but the contract was being formed, and written in blood it would be. This was the only thing that could make Dinah tire so easily.

But the bad part was seeing Naruto lean down to assist Nina. Her requirement for a master was that he care for the spirits forever. Naruto had met Nina's requirement, and half of the contract had been fulfilled. The only part left to fill was Dinah's half. Dinah's requirement was that the new master show complete mastery over his emotions. That being said, Naruto had completed that one as well. When he created the wall of clones, he demonstrated he could control his emotions in the midst of battle, something only masters could do. At the same time, he protected Nina, filling her end of the contract.

In a single act of defense, this boy had proven his worth to both the spirits within the swords. The only other thing that had to be completed for the spirits to become his was emotional interaction between the two. In other words, a kiss.

But since he had done that before demonstrating his worth, the previous kisses had been nulled. He would have to do so all over again.

Dinah felt like her insides were melting. This had only happened before with her first master, some Hoka-guy in red armor. She knew she would eventually finish the contract with Naruto, but it disgusted her no less.

Nina knew what was happening. Naruto had fulfilled the contract, and all he had to do was kiss them to complete it. She knew that if it was completed, then Dinah could no longer harm Master, as it was decreed within the making of the pact. She had tried to finish it earlier, but before she got the chance, Naruto had stood up and prevented her from finishing it. He then summoned a strange, red object that had its entire face covering its body.

Naruto picked Nina up, and carried her over to Lagann. He sat down with her still in his lap. He pulled the drill key from its place around his neck. He thrusted it into the ignition, and twisted with excessive force. The chakra gauge sprung to life on the pedestal, and filled two-thirds of the way. Nina placed her hands on Naruto's face and gently began to pull him in. What was she doing? Naruto looked at Nina, who had closed her eyes and was about an inch from Naruto's face.

Dinah looked at the two hated beings in front of her. She saw them enter the strange object, and Nina place her hands on the boy's face. She knew what was coming, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. With little energy, and her being unable to move, Dinah watched as the angel kissed Naruto, and a white light blinded her.

Naruto tasted vanilla ice cream again. But he was curious as to why Nina had kissed him. Was she holding back some feelings for him? What was truly going on? Nina broke the kiss, and looked at Naruto with a blush on her face.

"_Now that the contract is complete, she can no longer harm you."_

Nina said it so solemnly, Naruto instantly lost all curiosity and became very serious. He would find out what Nina meant later, but his main concern was what happened to Dinah. She could have easily attacked them in the time it took them to kiss. He looked over at the devil, seeing her get off the ground. Had she been weakened from her attack, or had she went through the same weakness Nina just left? Naruto had Lagann walk over to the weakened girl. He got out and knelt down beside Dinah.

"_**You *huff*…vile little *huff* monster! How could you *huff*…k-kiss her l-like *huff* that? I will end you!"**_

"_Dinah, you know you can no longer harm Master. Just leave it be and let bygones be bygones. Now be happy and finish the contract with Master Naruto."_

"_**NEVER! *HUFF*"**_

"_She is so stubborn. I don't know where she gets it from…"_

"Ummm…Okay I'm completely lost! What the HELL is going on here?"

"_Master, you were chosen by us, the Sisters of the Sword. We needed someone we could trust, someone we could protect, and protect us too. We make a contract with the person of our choice, and they must fulfill our requirements. The new owner will them be able to use our power. But there are two steps to the contract. You met the first for both of us when you protected me from the blast. Mine was that you show true emotion for us, the spirits. Her requirement was that you show complete emotional control, which you did in the 'fight' earlier. We become excessively weak when the first step is done, as our power is drained from our bodies to forge the contract. We remain in a state of helplessness until the contract is signed by both parties, by emotional contact."_

"_**God, that disgusts me to my very core! I refuse to partner up with this piece of absolute SHIT!"**_

"I'm confused right now…"

"_**Dumbass, she means a kiss! You have to complete a contract that lends you our power, and allows you to summon us into battle!"**_

"_Yes Master! That was why I did so earlier, our piece of the contract is finished, but you still have to complete the other half with Dinah."_

"So…you're saying I have to kiss Dinah…to gain her powers? But didn't she just try to kill me BECAUSE I kissed her?"

"_**Yes I did, and I will continue to try until every little scrap of your flesh has been destroyed. Or until I die. But lets be honest, which do you think is going to happen first?"**_

"_Dinah, in your weakened state, you cannot harm Master. I, on the other hand, am at full strength. I could end you here if I wanted."_

Naruto looked at Nina, who appeared repulsed by the idea of killing someone. She was the embodiment of positive emotions and actions. It is understandable that she would hate the concept of murdering someone in cold blood.

"_**P-Please Nina! Your power is supportive, not offensive. Your job is to protect and heal our 'Master', while mine is to fight for them. You couldn't kill me even if you had the guts to do so."**_

"Hmph, then there is only one course of action for us to take…"

"…_**You wouldn't DARE!"**_

"It's either this or you spend the next eternity with Nina here…without your powers…"

"_**Damn, you vile worm! You may be right, but nonetheless, I refuse!"**_

"_Dinah, was the kiss REALLY that bad? I think that our first master was worse than my current master. Can you not accept this man as someone capable, and willing?"_

"…_**Sometimes, I wish you would just disappear forever. Then maybe I wouldn't have to liten to your reasoning. But you are right, and truly this…MAN… is better than the First."**_

Dinah said the word 'man' like it would make her puke. Was admitting defeat really so hard? Naruto supposed that it would be depending on the situation. He decided to take the best course of action.

"Dinah, I won't force you into it, but I would like you to at least consider my offer."

Both the angel, and the devil looked at Naruto now.

"If you really don't want to work with me, then I cannot force it upon you. But if you wish to see what could happen, then maybe you will come to see things my way. Or at least halfway… If you still have any kind emotions for me, then maybe you should take it while you can."

Dinah looked at Naruto like he was crazy or something. Did he really think that Sin Incarnate would 'think about it' and 'reconsider his offer'? He was more messed up in the head than she first thought…Then again…

"_**I guess I don't have a choice. You have been kind to Nina, and even forgave me for trying to kill you. Very well then."**_

Dinah stood up, using every ounce of energy she had left. She walked over to Naruto, and placed her arms on his shoulders for support. Her legs gave way, and she crashed into him, but he caught Dinah, and the two looked into each other's eyes. They stayed that way for a minute, silent. Dinah closed her eyes, and moved in. Naruto did the same, and they locked lips once more.

To Naruto, her lips tasted like caramel, so sweet and tasteful. He would have lost himself in it if he could. Yet, he remembered Hinata, and began to blush deeply. In the course if ten minutes, Naruto had kissed two different girls twice. Did this count as two-timing? He thought about this for a moment, deciding that whether or not it was two-timing, he should stop while it was safe.

Dinah liked the kiss. It made her remember all the evil things she had done before being sealed within the swords. She liked each and every one of those devious actions. This one though, rated in her top thirty, as Number Twenty-Six. How often would you get to kiss someone else's loyal boyfriend TWICE? It would be ranked higher, if Nina hadn't kissed him as well. That damn angel was a constant thorn in her side. She would see that cursed being to the Underworld herself. But right now she was just enjoying the kiss. Naruto's lips were sweet, like sugar. Yet, it tasted tangy, like he had eaten some strange broth earlier.

Naruto broke the kiss, to Dinah's discomfort. True, they both wanted it to last longer, but not only did Naruto feel bad about doing this; Nina was standing there, watching them. It creeped Naruto out on a whole different level. These were the things that people wanted solitude for.

"_Yay Master! Now you can use BOTH of our powers!"_

"_**Yeah, but since you're still new to our abilities, you only get access to one spell of your choice from each of us. It can be any one you want, even our most difficult spells. Also, you get to summon us into battle. But don't rely on us too much. The longer we are out, the more mana you lose."**_

"M-Mana?"

"_It's like the life-force of the world, and everything that lives within it."_

"_**Your people refer to it as 'chakra'. Anyways, now that we've explained things to you, pick a spell from our arsenal. Here is a list of our powers."**_

Dinah raised her hand, and a piece of paper 'poofed' into existence. She handed it to Naruto, who looked over each power carefully, making sure each detail was understood. After five minutes, he finally made his choices.

"Dinah, I would like your most basic offensive spell, the 'Drain Saber'."

"_**Good choice, not only does it use the least amount of mana, it steals your opponent's life with each slash that makes contact, and transfers it over to you, healing any wounds you've accumulated." **_

"Good, so that leaves your spell Nina. The one I choose is your 'Heal' spell."

"_Master, I respect your choice and will inform you that it is a difficult spell to use. While using the spell, you man will drain from your body into the target's, restoring their wounds to little more than scratches. The downside is you will be completely vulnerable while doing this. Make sure you have a good defense while healing."_

"Thank you Nina, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

The two girls raised their hands and aimed them at Naruto. They formed the Rat handsign and light erupted from their hands. It shot towards the boy with lightning speed. As it collided with him, it split into five separate beams of black and white, and began to cirlce him at a swift pace. Naruto felt the knowledge of each spell surge within his mind. He felt his mastery over each new spell rise with each passing second. He understood the power that came with this knowledge and the responsibilities as well. And just as fast as it had begun, it was over.

"_Now that you have our powers, it is time for you to leave. I'm sorry Master, but we will be able to talk with you, if that is any consolation. Just ask for us like you would with Ryu, and we will answer."_

"Thanks girls, I appreciate all that you have done for me today. And I'm not just talking about the spells."

Nina blushed and giggled, while Dinah simply looked to the side. Upon closer inspection, Naruto saw a bit of red in her cheeks as well.

"_**Whatever, just leave us already!"**_

"Later Nina, Dinah! Talk to you girls soon!"

A bright light blinded Naruto. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them up a second later. He found he was in his new apartment, still alone. He felt energy welling up inside him, and knew it was not a dream. Naruto heard a sound at the door, and looked over to see Hinata coming in.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, you're awake? Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, and I feel much better now."

"Did you dream anything pleasant?"

"…No, not really."

Nina and Dinah listened to what he said to his girlfriend, but they didn't care that he didn't acknowledge them. They were more focused on the events that had just passed.

"_Master Narutoo is so funny Dinah! I think that we will have a great time as friends in the future."_

"_**Hmph, you are so childish, it makes me want to throw up…But it was interesting meeting him. He's a little deviant isn't he?"**_

"_Master isn't like that! He was just being polite!"_

"_**Sure he was…Anyways, I think things certainly will get fun around here. I can't wait to see our 'Master' at work, hehehe…"**_


	12. Chapter 12

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto placed the eggs in the fridge. It was boring, trying to organize their new house. It was like taking notes during Iruka's lectures, so dull and drab that you could fall asleep any second. He placed the milk beside the eggs. Luckily he was almost done with the damn chore. This entire time though, Hinata was going through the closet, holding some strange garments. While he was curious as to what she was doing, he knew it better to let her explain things to him. She would tell him in time. He placed the ramen cups beside the yogurt. He stood up and brushed off his orange jeans. Upon feeling strange holes in his clothes, Naruto looked down, seeing that his pants looked like they just got back from a wolf mauling. He groaned, and checked his jacket, which was also torn in many places.

The only thing Naruto had left was his good clothes. They were used for important events, such as inaugural ceremonies and the like. The only downside was they were also small. Good clothes cost money, something Naruto never had enough of. The pair he had was old, and used to be owned by a midget. It was all he could afford at the time. But now that he was a ninja, he could finally make some money, and get some nice clothes.

"Naruto-kun, can you come over here for a minute?"

"One moment Hinata."

Naruto walked into the bathroom, and began to mold his chakra. He released it as quietly as he could, and henged into himself, just with clothes that were not torn. He walked over to Hinata, who handed him a pair of pants that were dark orange with black on the sides, and a completely black shirt.

"I got you some new clothes. I figured that after these past few days, your clothes would be in trouble, and you might need something fresh to wear now."

"Awesome Hinata! 'Preciate it! I'll try them out."

Naruto walked back into the bathroom, and released the henge. He closed the door, and began to remove the tattered orange clothes.

"Hey Hinata, where are you getting all this money from again?

"Before I left the Hyuuga district, I spoke with my father. While he was QUITE upset with me, he understood that I would stand firm. He sent a message to the bank instructing them to create an account for me and they loaded it with 100,000 ryo. He also said that if I was to only use it for food, clothing, and bills, I could make the money last for about a year. He also asked me to tell you that he wished to speak with you whenever you are free for about an hour. I was instructed to hand this letter to you.. It is a pass that grants you a meeting with the head of the clan."

"That's strange. I wonder what it is he wants to discuss…"

"_Master, I have a good feeling about this meeting. You should go as soon as you can._

"_**For once, I agree with the pixie. Whether it's a truce or a fight he wants, you should go and show him that you are not afraid!**_

_I agree with those two. Now you get to bash in that bastard's skull and KILL EVERY SINGLE HUMAN WITHIN A FIVE MILE RADIUS!_

"_Do you ever shut up Ryu? Seriously, I mean, it wouldn't be so bad, if you weren't always telling me to obliterate someone. Just take a chill pill fox."_

"_**Dinah seconds the demon's holocaust idea!**_

"_Master Naruto would never do something so evil and heartless! Right Master?"_

"_Right Nina. I try to avoid fighting if at all possible."_

_Then what about earlier with that weird Hyuuga?_

"…_..Ignoring you now."_

_**RYU OWNED COUNT: 1**_

"Well Hinata, I guess I'll go today, before we start the mission. Meet me at the Hokage Tower at sunset."

Hinata nodded, and with that, Naruto shunshined over to the Hyuuga District entrance. Naruto noticed the door that he slammed last time was completely broken. He walked through the gate, and instantly, five Hyuuga guards surrounded him, each with a kunai to his throat.

"Chill guys, I have a note from Hinata's father that grants me an audience with him. He said he had something important to talk to me about."

Naruto pulled the note out slowly, and handed it to a guard in front of him. The man looked over ti carefully, his blank, purple eyes reading every line carefully. After a minute, he stood back, and nodded to the other four guards. They shadow-stepped away, leaving Naruto with the one guard. The man turned away, and motioned for Naruto to follow him. They proceeded quietly, walking along wide, empty sidewalks. No one seemed to be around, Naruto noticed. It was like a ghost town, or something.

After about five minutes,, the two stopped at the front doors of the largest building in the district. Naruto looked back at the path they followed, noting that they were on a large hill that overlooked the entire district. He would add this to his list of memorable spots for future reference. The Hyuuga cleared his throat loudly, grabbing Naruto's attention.

"When you get inside brat, walk straight ahead, and DON'T…TOUCH…ANYTHING. The Master will be in the room at the top of the stairs. If you disrespect him in ANY way, we will not hesitate to kill you on the spot, got that?

"Whatever man, I don't have to take crap from you. I could end your life with a single punch."

Naruto clenched his right fist, and extended it behind him, releasing an immense amount of chakra. The blast traveled out of his hand, and exploded ten feet away. While the two ninjas didn't feel anything, the Hyuuga was completely stunned at the display. Naruto looked like it was nothing to him, and it proably wasn't. The boy simply looked at the grown man, his eyes piercing into the man's very soul. The man looked into his eyes, and saw them change from a bright blue, to a dark red, then to pure place, then pure silver. It puzzled him, but that was unimportant. He couldn't move at all, and he felt something wet drip down his left leg.

Naruto looked away, and the Hyuuga regained control of his body. He shadow-stepped away, off to get a new pair of pants. Naruto opened the double doors, and walked in. He saw many people crowding the lobby. They appeared to be in prayer, so Naruto quietly walked through the crowd, up the stairs, and stopped in front of the large paper door. He crouched down, and knocked on the wood floor as soft as he could.

"…Enter."

Naruto slid the door open, and saw two men sitting at a table with a large scroll. Naruto recognized one of them as Steve, the Hyuuga with an accent. The other man, Naruto assumed, was most likely the head of the clan, and Hinata's father.

"…Boy, your timing could not be worse. We were just going over a truce for the war that YOU caused. Because of your actions, Steve here, rallied many of the Hyuugas to revolt against the main branch."

"…I'm sorry I had no idea…Anyways, I came because Hinata told me that you wanted to speak with me. I can come back at another time though, if you want."

"Oy, moron! I say we gut ya like a fish, and feed ya to the marsupials. You ain' leavin' this place alive!"

"Steve…shut up. We can hardly understand a word you say! How in the hell did you manage to convince so many Hyuugas to join you?"

"…I just talk'd away. Started ramblin' on 'bout Sheila's, marsupials, and the like. They join'd me when I said I'd shut it."

"…Right. So I'll just come back later?"

"No, stay. You and I have much to talk about. Just wait for me in my office, and we will discuss this in a few minutes. I just need to focus on this for now."

Naruto nodded and walked into the office next door. He walked over to the desk, and grabbed a seat.

"_Master, why did you start a war?"_

"_**Yeah Master, why did you? I don't really care why, but I like to hear the violent parts."**_

"_Dinah, Nina, I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't even know about it. I just went to protect my friends, got in a fight, as did Hinata. We won, we left, and that was that. It was their own fault that a war broke out."_

"_**Where is the fun in that? How lame."**_

The door opened, and Hinata's father walked in. Naruto stood up, and watched as he walked around his desk, and sat down. The man motioned for Naruto to sit, and he did. Silence followed for a minute, until the Hyuuga sighed, and crossed his hands.

"…Naruto, how do you feel about Hinata? I ask only for your honest opinion of her."

"…Well sir, where can I begin? She has fought with me, she lives with me, and we are pretty much inseparable. I can't even begin to explain what I feel for her. For me to even TRY, I would need an hour."

"…Heh…Hehehe…Hahahahaha! Good answer boy! I like you! Hehehe, you pass the test son."

"Excuse me?"

"The main reason I asked for you Naruto, was because Hinata gave up EVERYTHING, to be with you. She was willing to start over, and leave behind her family. Truthfully, I didn't think that you were worth it, that it was just some mindless puppy love she had for you. I had to test you, and see if you cared for her as I do. I'm still debating if she made the right choice, but I respect her decision, and support her no matter what. But that was not the only reason I called you here today."

"What do you mean sir?"

"I've been the head of the Hyuuga clan for a long time, and I know when I see true love between two people. When you said what you did about Hinata, I saw conviction in your eyes… It showed me the truth… So Naruto…I grant you my blessing."

"…"

_Holy…_

"_**Shit…"**_

"…Did I hear you right?"

"Indeed you did. You have my blessing, but under one condition. Protect her, love her, and grow with her, until you both are sixteen. Only then, will I allow it."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…What? Are you so shocked by my words that you cannot even speak?"

"No, just this is unbelievable to a whole 'nother level."

"…I'm sorry…What?"

"…*sigh* It's just really awesome, do you understand that?"

"Easily my boy. Also, You cannot let her know of this conversation. Surprise her with it."

"…Sir, why are you being so nice to me? I thought all Hyuugas hated me with a dying passion because I contain the Demon Fox inside me."

"…Well, uh…Normally we would but…"

"…What do you want?"

"…Nothing, just, be good to Hinata."

Hinata's father looked away. Naruto noticed a glimmer in his eye. Was he crying? What for?

"…Sir, are you okay?"

"…Naruto Uzumaki…If you ever upset her…I'll hunt you down and castrate you with the dirtiest, most rusty, diseased, butter knife that I have, and I will burn the stump to absolute nothingness! She is…all I have left…"

Naruto recalled the fight from last night. Hinata had killed her own sister, and so Hinata's father only had the one girl left. Oh, how it must feel, to lose a daughter to another?

"Sir…Through Heaven or Hell, rain or shine, and even after my death, I will protect her. Everything that I am, she has accepted, and I will not let her fall even at the cost of my life!"

_And the other eight lives that I have._

Naruto ignored that random comment, and stood up. As he did, Hiashi got up as well. They walked over to the door, and Hinata's father placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I will hold you to those words. I leave Hinata in your hands…And now that we have taken care of the important business, time for you to be accepted."

"A-Accepted?"

Hiashi opened the doors, and walked Naruto over to the exit. He pushed them open, and every Hyuuga looked up at the two beings standing atop the large staircase. They rose from the floor, one by one. Hinata's father released Naruto's shoulder, and walked over to the top step. He raised his arms to the ceiling, and began to speak.

"The time is upon us, my Hyuuga brethren! We shall no longer hold contempt for the son of Namikaze Minato! The fourth has gifted to us, a boy of unimaginable courage, wisdom, and capability! Now, we shall proclaim this boy, Naruto Uzumaki, as a brother, a son, and a prince! As of this day, we shall accept this youngling, as an heir, to the Hyuuga throne! From this moment on, he shall be known as…Naruto Hyuuga Uzumaki!"

The crowd of Hyuugas exploded, some in anger, others in submission. Naruto didn't notice any of this though. He was too focused of Hiashi, the man that just claimed Naruto as a son, and the next leader of the Hyuuga clan. This same man, had also promised the hand of his daughter, Hinata. Was all of this really happening? Was this some kind of strange dream, or some cosmic prank?

"Son, as of today, YOU, will lead our people. You must stand strong, and guide our clan along the narrow path. But worry not, you will not be alone. I will act as your advisor, and provide you with my insight on whatever troubles you. But enough about leading the clan. We must begin your training in the Hyuuga arts."

"T-Training?"

"Yes, as leader, you must learn the strongest arts of your clan, so you may protect them. Luckily, we are able to work at any pace, so don't think you will be rushed through each technique. We Hyuuga members like to focus on a single skill, and master it before we start another. That being said, let's go to the training grounds."

Hinata was groggy, and bored to death. Naruto had been gone for an hour, and Minato was asleep (she wondered why and how a spirit slept). After finishing packing the house, and trying on her dresses, she had nothing to do. She had slept most of the hour, but she still had nothing to do when she awoke. She thought about trying to get in some training, but she couldn't leave without letting Naruto know where she was. Hinata had already cleaned the house, down to the last speck of dust in every room.

"Mnnnnnng! Why can't something interesting happen?...Wait a minute. I have clones available, so I'll just send one over to the Hyuuga District, and see what Naruto is up to."

Hinata stood up, and made the cross handsign, and summoned three clones. She instructed the first to investigate the manor, the second to check the training grounds, and the third to explore the clearing behind the Hokage Memorial. They each vanished in an instant, using the shunshin technique Naruto had taught Hinata. Within the minute, a clone reported seeing Naruto leave the manor, heading back to the apartment. Hinata ordered the clones to dissipate, and braced for the memory recollection. When the memory of only two clones were gained, Hinata grew worried. Why had one not dispelled?

Suddenly, a knock came from the door. Hinata walked over to it, and opened the door, expecting Naruto. When she saw no one was there, she closed the door, and turned around. Upon doing so, a piar of lips crashed into her. She saw yellow hair, and instantly moved into it. She let the sweet taste take her, and wished for it to never end. Yet like all good things, it did, and the two looked into each other's eyes. Just then, the clone that didn't dispell breaks her thoughts.

_Original, I apologise for the disobedience. I was halted by the 'Silent One' Sending the event now._

The silent one, a.k.a, Sylvia Denso. Hinata let the memory from her clone flow into her brain. The event played itself out very simple like. Sylvia attacked the clone on the way to the clearing, and attempted to kill her. The clone activated her byakugan, and easily thrashed the simple-minded mute. The clone, feeling the same rage that the original would feel towards the girl, ied her up and suspended her on the memorial by using the First Hokage's nose as an anchor…like a giant dripping booger.

Hinaa giggled at this, which made Naruto look at her with a strange face. She simply said it was nothing, and they released each other from the hug. They walked over to their beds, and began to talk about what happened to Naruto. He explained the situation, leaving out the marriage part. He was the new clan leader, and was to guide the Hyuuga people to salvation. He would learn all the special jutsus they had, and use them as best he could against the evils of the world. He would have learned the first today, but he explained the Mizuki situation to Hiashi, and left, saying he would return tomorrow. Naruto also said that Hiashi wanted Hinata there tomorrow.

"Me, but for what reason?"

"I was thining about it, and I think that he wants to teach you a few jutsus as well."

"…"

"Anyways, we have to take care of the Mizuki thing before that, so lets just rest and go over our plan."

They heard a knock at the door, and upon opening it, they are immediately slammed into the ground by three people. Naruto, who was on the bottom trying to cushion Hinata's fall, opened his eyes to see Kamina, Gimmy, and Darry on top of him and Hinata.

"Heh heh…DOG PILE!" cried out Kamina.

They got off Naruto and Hinata, who found themselves in a very akward position, with Hinata's butt in Naruto's face, and vice-versa. The two got up within a nanosecond, and pretended it never happened. The three newcomers just laughed, like it was a good joke.

"Hehehe, sorry Hinata, Naruto. We didn't intend for THAT to happen, but at the same time, it was funny," said Darry in between laughs.

"Ughn…Well no worries. Just don't so that agan." said Naruto.

"Anyways, we just came by to congratulate you two on the fastest hook-up in the history of the universe."

"That and check out your new home."

'Kamina, Gimmy, be nice to our new friends!"

In unison, the two troublemakers said, " Yeeees, Mother Darry!"

"Um…Darry, how did you guys know where to find us?"

"Hmm?..Oh, some old man stopped by our hotel room and told us where to find you. Then he gave us an apartment a few doors down from here. It was hell trying to navigate this village without a map."

"*Sigh* Old man Sarutobi is REALLY going all out for us." Naruto said.

At this moment, Kamina decided to change the subject.

"Anyways, are my Blood Siblings ready to train in their new gunmen?"

This grabbed Naruto and Hinata's attention instantly.

"They came in already? Damn, that was fast!"

"Wow, I get to pilot a gunman! I wonder what it looks like…"

Then Naruto remembered that they were on a schedule, and began to inform the trio.

"…Damn, that sucks, Brother Naruto. Maybe we can help some?"

"…I got an idea. Aniki, I want you to inform the Hokage, about this. You remember the old man from earlier? Simply run to the big building at the base of the mountain and tell the guards that there is an issue at the academy. It works every time. Tell him where to go, and get to the clearing above the Memorial. Bring Lagann and Hinata's gunman. That will be our crash test on the bastard known as Mizuki."

"…Damn kid, ya got spunk! You can count on me!"

"Good…Then it is time me and Hinata enacted our plan."

"What do you intend to do Naruto?" asked Darry.

Naruto gained a thoughtful expression for a moment, before replying.

"Hehehe…You'll see, it is a surprise…"

Kamina looked annoyed at this comment.

"Little Bro, ya ain't gonna tell us whatcha gonna do?"

"If I told you our plan, then it wouldn't be a surprise would it?"

"But that's not fair!"

Darry grabbed Kamina by the ear, and pulled hard, bringing Kamina to the floor.

"Give it a rest, would you? It'll happen when it happens."

The two genin walked out of the room, leaving Kamina, Gimmy, and Darry wondering what they had in mind…


	13. Chapter 13

The Uzumaki Brigade

Mizuki was bored right now. After leaving the two genin to do…whatever…he did a few c-ranked jobs, just to kill some time. It bored him to no end, but it also made him glad that after tonight, he would never have to do another shitty job again. Escorting old wealthy people was a pathetic job, especially for someone of his caliber. If he heard ONE MORE story about how she screwed some wealthy man, married him, and then divorced him for the money, then Mizuki would forget his mission, and murder EVERYONE in the district.

He looked at his watch, which said 8:56. In four minutes, he would go to the shack in the forest, and kill the genin. Then he would enact 'His" plan and Mizuki would rule all of Konoha, or at least half of it. But first thing's first, he had to dispose of those low level genin. The Hyuuga shouldn't be a problem, as she couldn't even use her Kekei-genkai yet! But the boy was a different story. Naruto had the ability to use the Demon Fox's chakra at will. If he didn't act fast and without mercy, that kid would most likely unleash hell on the town. If he did that, then what would be left for 'Mizuki: The Tyrant to be'?

Either way, Mizuki had to leave now, or else he would suffer 'His' wrath. He dashed through the trees, leaving a clone at certain points to help him escape if something went wrong. As he went along, closing in on the hidden shack, he concentrated chakra around his ears. Doing this allowed him to increase his ability to hear, which was his favorite support ability. Mizuki stopped now, and focused his hearing towards the shack…

Naruto was pacing back and forth impatiently in front of the shack. Where the hell was Mizuki? He should have been here by now! Naruto decided that he should set up a perimeter around the shack, a precaution that made him feel smart. But for the plan to really work, Kamina would have to be swift, lest the Hokage be late for the show.

Naruto was growing tired of pacing like a doofus, and decided to stop. He walked over to the shack, calm as can be.

"Damn, Hinata's really late. I wonder what is keeping her. We stole the Scroll once before, so a second time shouldn't be so hard, right, Mizuki sensei?"

Naruto looked in Mizuki's direction, an evil smirk upon his face. Mizuki, who was well out of sight, and easily out of ear shot, grew a worried look upon his face. How had that twerp known he was there? Was the fox's chakra amplifying his senses? Or did he know the same technique Mizuki was using now?

Mizuki shook his head, trying to calm himself. He quickly traversed the last set of trees hiding him from Naruto. As he landed on the ground, he placed his hands within his pockets, slowly grabbing a pair of shuriken.

_He won't expect me to attack him! I'll kill him here and now, before that little Hyuuga brat gets here._

"Don't expect that plan to go so smoothly my ex-sensei. You are out-classed, and out-numbered. You have no hopes of winning…Not that you ever did."

Mizuki instantly had a shocked face. How had this brat known what he was thinking? Was this some kind of strange jutsu? Just who was this kid? Was he reading his mind now?

"Let me answer those questions for you. One: I just took a guess. That being said, Two: It was not a jutsu. Three: I'm Naruto Hyuuga Uzumaki, badass leader of the Hyuuga clan and Sector Seven, the anti-planetary division of Konoha. Four: I'm not reading your mind, you're saying these things out loud while you think them, dumbass!"

"Surely this little brat is joking. As if I would say my thoughts out loud! But I need to focus, I'll swiftly move to his left and strike his neck before he realizes what is going on. And if he manages to block or dodge that, I'll throw five kunai at him while he is suspended in mid air from the recoil of my first attack."

"*Sigh*, if you insist upon this then I have no choice but to-"

Mizuki side-stepped left, and withdrew a kunai. He attempted to swing it at Naruto, but the boy ducked, and swept out his leg quickly. Mizuki's legs were pushed out from under him, and he flipped over. Gravity then took control, and Mizuki faceplanted on the ground. Naruto placed his sandal on Mizuki's face, holding him to the dirt.

"D-Damn it…How did you…?"

"Give up man, we knew about your plan from the beginning. The Hokage knows, and we have taken every precaution to secure our victory."

"Wh-what?…B-b-b-but…how? I looked over all the facts. You were supposed to be an idiot with no skill, you were to fall for my ploy, and get me the Scroll! My plan is ruined now!"

At that exact moment, Hinata bursts through the trees carrying the Forbidden Scroll. Behind her, Kamina comes racing in with Gimmy and Darry, all three of them gasping for air.

"Naruto-kun, I brought the Scroll! I'm not late am I?"

Naruto looked over at her, giving Mizuki enough time to slip out from under his slimy sandal. He shadow-stepped behind Hinata, and grabbed her around the neck and stomach. Like a flash, he was ten feet in the air, upside-down, on a tree branch.

"HINATA!"

Naruto took a step forward, about to charge the traitor, when the man whipped out a kunai, and held it against Hinata's neck.

"Ah, ah, ahhhh," Mizuki said, wagging a finger at the boy. " Don't try anything that could end up backfiring."

"D-Damn!"

Kamina walked over to Naruto, with Gimmy and Darry close behind. The blue-haired teen violently shaked his fast at the evil man, his voice bellowed out like an elephant cry.

"Hey, dumbass with the giant cross on his back! Release her now! You have NO idea who you are messing with!"

Mizuki sneered, something that made him look slightly foolish. He pressed the knife closer to Hinata's throat, drawing a trickle of blood. She gasped in pain, as she felt her blood flow down her body, onto the cold, hard ground.

"Oh? Go ahead and inform me, you little twerp. I'll enjoy this while digging my kunai into her neck."

Kamina inhaled deeply, and puffed out his chest. Naruto had a feeling that a speech was coming. But this could also be the perfect opportunity to rescue her.

"Okay then! Now clean the wax outta ya ears, you sadistic little freak! I'm about ta lay one down on ya! Even on unfamiliar planets, he fights to the bitter end. He beats down all fear within, and forges a sword to cut down all who would stand in his way. The ultimate in manly, with nothing to lose. When ya hear tha name 'Kamina', they're talking' 'bout me! Now release Hinata!

Mizuki was confused, but he didn't loosen his grip on his hostage. That speech was interesting, if only slightly. But he didn't care about that speech in particular. He didn't care about WHO the kid was, he decided that he'd hire this punk to write speeches about Mizuki's greatness.

"Ummm…No. In fact, I think I'll keep her close to me, at least until I see that pink-haired girl kill the demon fox child…Speaking of which, you can go back to where you were standing Naruto. For a ninja, you're not very stealthy."

"…Shit…"

Naruto stepped out of the bushes, an angry look plain on his face. But as Hinata looked at him, and he at her, she saw a victorious glint in his eyes. She had a feeling that Mizuki wouldn't be in control for long.

"Okay, now I'm miffed. What the hell is so important that you have to betray your own country to gain?"

"…Oh! You mean my goal! Simple brat, I have only two things in mind… First immortality, then the bitches!"(In the TFS Universe, Vegeta sneezed. He awoke, realizing that he needed to pee.)

Everyone in the small clearing was silent. They stared at Mizuki like he was crazy. After three minutes, Mizuki finally broke the silence.

"…I said, 'First immortality, then the-'"

"Yeah, we heard you the first ttime!..So uh…What was that about Darry here killing me?"

"…You got a problem with my goals?"

"Hmmmm, no. But it was a nice distraction-"

"-While my clone puts you in a 'Catch 22'."

Mizuki heard the rest of the sentence from behind, where a kunai was positioned against the back of his head. He turned his head slightly, careful not to force a slash mark onto his perfect head. His eyes widened considerably, as he saw Naruto standing there with a sharp knife directed at Mizuki. His grip on Hinata slackened a bit, although it wasn't enough for her to break out yet, but enough to let her reach her kunai pouch. Mizuki looked stuned as shit How did this kid manage to get behind him? Sure, he could make clones, but those were just illusions, right?

"Mizuki, you're saying your thoughts out loud again. Oh, and they aren't illusions…"

"…I'm a full blown copy of the original, bitch."

"B-b-but…how? This shouldn't be possible! I'm supposed to win, not lose to some low-level genin! I…I…I…"

Mizuki suddenly had an evil thought. One that he had no problem with. He tightened his grip on Hinata, and pressed the kunai hard into her neck.

"DON'T MOVE! IF ANYONE TRIES _ANYTHING,_ I WILL SLICE THIS BITCH'S HEAD OFF HERE AND NOW!"

This pissed Naruto off to the extreme, but he maintained his composure, and held fast. No one called his girl a bitch, he would end their existence of they did. He quickly relayed a message to the clone, who simply nodded.

"If you value your life Mizuki, I'd take that comment back, and release my girlfriend…NOW."

"Heh…Heheheh…Hahahahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEASE, FOX CHILD! YOUR LITTLE THREAT DOES NOT SCARE ME!"

Hinata picked that exact moment to speak up. She would resolve this situation with a simple sentence.

"Well traitor, what if I told you that cutting off my head would result in a TOTAL loss?"

"…What?"

Hinata 'poofed' away, leaving nothing behind but a small log, which landed on Mizuki's foot, causing him to lose focus, and fall from the branch he was hanging from. He faceplanted into the ground once more, except with much more force, creating a lorge hole in the ground. The bottom half of Mizuki stuck out from the hole, while the muffled, pained groans from the top half came from within.

Mizuki was in extreme pain right now. No, not from the log, or the fall, but from the blow to his pride. He, a chunin, had been humiliated by two small genin. It wasn't possible! There was only one thing to do…Go bat shit crazy on them, and pray they can't fight back.

Mizuki released himself from the hole, and brought out ten shuriken. He quickly threw them at Naruto, who simply dodged left. Mizuki, expecting this, threw five more at him now. Naruto was in mid-jump, so how was he to dodge these. The sharp projectiles pierced his face, and Naruto burst into smoke, revealing a small log again. Mizuki looked up to where the log had been, only to see Naruto plummet down onto the traitor. His fist collided with the man's face, and he 'poofed' away.

Naruto had a feeling he would do that, and quickly withdrew a kunai. He tossed it towards Mizuki, who weaved right, and made the Snake handsign. The man released a small burst of chakra, and was gone. Naruto looked around the clearing, expecting the bastard to appear behind him or one of his friends. When he found no one, he ordered a status report from his clones. They each replied that he was nowhere to be found.

"Shit! I let him get away."

Hinata walked up from the bushes she had been hiding in from the beginning. This was not part of the plan. Where was the Third Hokage? Where had Mizuki gone to? What should she make for dinner tonight?

"Naruto-chan, maybe we can still find him. I think there is a tracking jutsu within the Forbidden Scroll."

Kamina walked over to Hinata, and slapped her on the back. He left a large, red, handprint on her back, but the clothes hid it well. She glared at him like he had just groped her…a bad memory for her. Nonetheless, she tried hard to forgive and forget.

"Hey Hinata, where did you put the whatsitcalled?"

"The Scroll? I'm not sure, I dropped it somewhere before coming out here."

"Well we need to find it. C'mon Gimmy, Darry, we should be useful and help our friends get that Scroll. Naruto, just say the word, you ARE the leader after all."

"…Hmmm…Kamina, Gimmy, and Darry, you three check in the direction Hinata came from. We will stay here and search the surrounding parts."

Kamina flipped Naruto a thumbs up, and walked away, the two other-worlders close in tow, holding hands. After they were out of sight, Naruto flipped out a kunai, and slashed at Hinata. She attempted to dodge, but was unable to completely do so, and received a nasty gash across her face, just below her eyes. She stumbled backwards, and fell to the ground clutching her face. Her body 'poofed' and was quickly replaced by Mizuki, who was in the same position.

"You know Mizuki, if you intend to henge into someone, at least TRY to get all the details right, lest you forfeit the guise. Next time, try using 'kun' instead of 'chan'. Then again, there won't be a next time for you…"

"Naruto Hyuuga Uzumaki! Sheathe your kunai! This neither the time, nor the place!"

Naruto looked over to where the voice originated. Standing within the clearing, was Old Man Sarutobi. He calmly and slowly walked over to the two ninja. Using his walking staff, Sarutobi moved Naruto's sandal off Mizuki's face. The weakened chunin disliked this, as dirt was scraped across his face. As Mizuki got up, he tasted dirt, and something he would rather not think about.

"Old man," Mizuki spat, "Why are you here?"

"One: To prevent Naruto from committing a crime. Two: To save your sorry ass…for now. And Three: Because I need the exercise."

Naruto wasn't listening, as he was lost in deep thought. All was going according to his plan. All he needed was for Hinata to show up, carrying a fake of the scroll. Mizuki would try that little sneak move again, and Sarutobi would bust his ass. He signaled for a clone to inform Hinata of the situation, and requisition a clone.

"Were you listening boy?"

"Hmmm…Wha?"

"I said, are you listening? I want you to place him within your prison facility on the Hyuuga land."

"…Damn word gets around fast. I was hoping to keep that under reps for at least another week."

"Well, I have a special jutsu, that allows me to see through the eyes of anyone I know personally. I saw everything through Mizuki's eyes…Well, that and the fact that every clan has to send in a report when there is a change in leadership."

Naruto lowered his eyelids half way, to the point where it looked like he was half asleep. He had a smirk on his face though, and spoke calmly.

"Oh, is that so? Well, maybe you can teach me this jutsu, for when I need to know what my teammates are doing?"

"Hmmmm…AFTER, you perform a few missions with your division. By the way, how is the sword thing coming?"

"Oh, really good. I got two new friends, and a few tricks that'll really come in handy."

"Okay then…Now Mizuki, let's get you over to the tower to-"

Sarutobi looked over to where Mizuki had been, but he was gone. The two ninjas looked around, and found him holding Hinata again. There was something different this time though. It was something that pissed Naruto off to his very core.

"Mizuki you perv! Let go of my ass!"

Mizuki looked down at where his hand was, finding that it was indeed grasping her behind. It was not his intention, but it would do for now. It was better than what he had intended to grab originally, which was her tied up hands. He had a clone scout the area over to the tower. It had located her along the path, and he instructed one of 'His' minions to tie her up and bring the Scroll to him. How had he not felt the difference between her wrists and her ass? Anyway, it was still a victory for him. He had the Scroll, and with it, all the powerful jutsus.

"Naruto Uzumaki! I have a proposition for you! I will spare your little…whore, under one condition!"

"W-WHORE? How DARE you! I'll have you know I'm saving myself for someone important!"

"Who cares about that! Naruto, do you care more for this girl, or the Hokage? I'm going to find that out right now…"

"What are you getting at, you perv?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, by the end of this day, you will kill either the Old Man there…or your girlfriend…"

"Wh-wha?...I-I can't do that!"

"Then you forfeit Hinata's life?"

"Urk! How am I supposed to choose between the one girl that doesn't hate me, or the man that raised me?"

"N-Naruto-kun, it's fine. I can die for you…Trust me."

Naruto looked into Hinata's eyes, and saw conviction gleam out at him. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a little smirk on her face. She winked at him, and Naruto instantly remembered. This wasn't the ORIGINAL Hinata, it was a clone. But that didn't make things less painful for him. She was still Hinata, the love of his life.

"I…pick…myself!"

"Wha?"

Naruto dashed forward, with lightning speed. He positioned his weight behind him, causing him to go to the ground. But thanks to his momentum, and the mud caused by rain a few days ago, he slid between Hinata and Mizuki's legs. He jumped to his feet, and brought out a kunai. He slashed at Mizuki, who only watched, stunned.

The tip of the blade struck him in the same spot it had before. Causing the wound to deepen, and blood to flow out increasingly. Mizuki reeled back, releasing his hostage, who fell forward. Naruto dived, and caught Hinata, before she hit the ground. He got to his knees, and untied the roped binding her. As Hinata climbed to her feet, rubbing the sore spot where the rope held her, she looked over to where Mizuki was rolling around.

He was clutching the spot where Naruto had made contact. Blood seeped between his fingers, and ran down his forearm. His screams could be heard for at least a half mile. Sarutobi walked over to the two genin, and placed his hands on both of their shoulders.

"Not bad you two. But you both still have a long, long way to go…"

"That may be true, but we still do our work good, Old Man Hokage."

"Hehehe, fair enough. C'mon, lets go back to the tower."

As the trio turned and began to walk away, Mizuki weakly climbed to his feet. He removed the large shuriken from his back, and aimed carefully.

"Ughn! D…DEMON WINDMILL SHURIKEN!"

The projectile flew through the air, heading towards Naruto, Hinata, and Sarutobi. The Hokage, having been trained perfectly against these types of situations, jumped high and dodged the attack. Naruto and Hinata however, were not trained enough, and were mowed down by the large blades. Their heads were removed from their bodies instantly. As their heads flew through the air, both the bodies 'poofed' out of existence. Both Mizuki and Sarutobi had a WTF? Look on their face.

"Didn't see that coming huh you perverted, sadistic, jackass?"

Both the Hokage and the traitor turned to where the voice came from. Standing on a tree branch twenty feet from the ground, with his two nodaichi unsheathed, a victorious smirk upon his face, was Naruto. Beside him was Hinata, holding the Scroll in her hands. Mizuki looked down, and saw he had another log in his right hand.

"Alright! Time to try out my new move!"

"_Master Naruto, what jutsu will you use?"_

"_**Use the Drain Saber! Use the Drain Saber!"**_

"_That was the intention Dinah…"_

Naruto crossed his blades in an 'X' pattern, and willed his chakra to mold for this technique. He forced the energy down his arms, through his hands, and into the frame of his swords.

"Burēdo no Dorein! DRAIN BLADE!"

Naruto's swords began to pulse with energy, and dark, purple chakra began to circle his nodaichi. Naruto's body was beginning to glow a dark blue, and he his chakra begin to weaken slowly. At most, Naruto could keep this technique running for at least an hour.

"Mizuki, prepare to lose everything…to the power of my blades."

Naruto jumped off the branch, and began to do front flips. As he landed on the ground, he dashed forward at Mizuki. Though he had the time to dodge, Mizuki found his body refused to obey him. Naruto's blades were upon hom now, so Mizuki shut his eyes so he wouldn't see his end. When he felt nothing, Mizuki opened his eyes again, to see he was on the ground. He had not felt it, maybe because his body refused to respond. He saw a blue sandal in front of him, and used every ounce of energy to look up.

Naruto looked down on this pathetic man. In the last second before his nodaichi made contact, he pulled back and struck the air in front of him. Although the power in the air alone was enough to knock him over. The only reason that happened was because Mizuki had been struck by a timed poison that paralyzed the body's muscles. It was a little precaution Naruto had placed upon his equipment an hour ago…just in case.

"W-Why do y-you spare me? Just k-kill me already."

Naruto closed his eys and sighed. He shook his head, like this was just a nuisance. It truly was to him. Naruto wanted to end his life there and now, but he had rules to follow.

"It's not my place to kill you. Not here, and not now. Yes, I have the motive to do so. But two things prevent me from ending this situation here and now. The first is the Shinobi Code, which says that your verdict will be determined by the Lord Hokage."

Sarutobi looked at Naruto, and nodded in agreement. Naruto, who was once the dead last of his generation, had skyrocketed to second with ease. He could probably be first, if Sasuke did not already have that position filled out. If that child learned to use his kekei-genkai, he would become one of the strongest beings within the village.

"The second reason is that if I were to kill you here, I would simply be accused of assault on an officer, and would be labeled a traitor. I would be banished from the village, and that would not be good for anyone. You must be found guilty, and your punishment held public."

"D-Damn! Y-You had this all p-planned…D-D-Didn't y-you?"

Naruto sneered, and placed himself on one knee. He lowered his head to Mizuki's, and whispered quietly into his ear.

"Of course I did. Just who the hell do you think I am? It was quite simple really. I had my new friends convince the Hokage to arrive at a certain time, while clones of mine henged as them. The clones, as well as Hinata's clone with a fake Scroll, would arrive mid-battle, and trick you into lowering your guard. That would in turn, allow me to force you into a corner, where you would try a desperate sneak attack. Then Old Man Sarutobi would show up, and so would another Hinata clone. You would expect this one to be real again, and capture her in front of the Hokage. I'd strike you again with a poisoned kunai, and this would all end. You would be found guilty of the highest degree, Hinata and I would emerge with more respect from the villagers, and I'd walk away knowing that I'm easily as smart as Shikamaru. You do have to admit, a person has to know his stuff to enact a plan to this degree."

"You little f-freak!"

"Thank you, -His-Ass-Handed-To-Him-By-A-Genin."

Naruto got up, and Sarutobi walked over to him. He placed his staff on Mizuki's face, and focused one-quarter of a single percent of his chakra to mold for shun-shin. He winked at Naruto, and teleported away with the traitor. Naruto stood up, and was mentally bombarded by Ryu, Dinah, and Nina.

"_**Damn Master, you have some twisted ideas. I didn't realize you had it in you…"**_

"_They weren't twisted Dinah, they were brilliant! How did you create such an elaborate plan, Master Naruto?"_

_I bet the chakra I loan him is having an alternative effect on his body, increasing his mental and physical capabilities by leaps and bounds. But even so, the rate of alteration at which they increase are not nearly this fast, He must have had some help somewhere along the line._

"_Well, I will give credit where credit is due. Hinata did help with certain details in the plan. But you three should have known that. You guys are always with me."_

_Well, uh…I was trying to learn what Chuck is saying. Having him as company isn't as fun as it used to be, so I want to understand his language._

'_**I was trying to think of some sadistic thing for you to do to Hinata tonight while she was asleep."**_

"_I was keeping an eye on Dinah…In case she tried to do anything."_

"_**Guilty as charged. But anyway, it was a good plan. And you used the technique I gave you!"**_

"_Maybe you can use my skill to heal those AWFUL scars you made on Mizuki?"_

"_Yeeeaaaah, no! Not gonna happen. That little prick gets what he deserves."_

"_**Will you use my blade to deal the finishing blow? I do love the feel of blood flowing down my body."**_

"…_I'll consider it, if the Hokage allows me to do so. Anyways, do you get off on someone's destruction, Dinah?"_

"_**Would you be surprised if I said yes?"**_

"_Good point. Anyways, I guess I'll head back to the Tower, and pick up Hinata. Then we can go to the Clearing, and try out our gunmen."_

With that, Naruto shun-shined away. He arrived at the roof of the Tower, and began his descent down the walkway that lead to the Hokage's office. Upon seeing the door in, he heard a loud scream. The voice, quite familiar to him now, instantly caused a lightnng reflex to awaken in him. Without realizing it, Naruto had dashed the last flight of stairs, and burst through the door, within a nanosecond.

He looked around, finding Kamina unconscious against the wall, which had a small pool of blood that flowed down onto his head. Gimmy, whose back was bleeding, was shielding Darry from some attack, and the Hokage was standing there smoking his pipe, like nothing had happened. Hinata had her sickle drawn, and a small splash of blood was easily seen on the blade. Mizuki was on the ground yet AGAIN, holdng his face like he had done before. It was easy to figure out what had happened here.

Mizuki, able to move his body again, had grabbed Hinata. Kamina attempted to rescue her, but was easily batted away by Mizuki. Hinata, with her sickle hidden on her person, pulled the weapon out and used it to attack Mizuki, who couldn't dodge due to lack of space and the fact that Hinata was within a point-blank range of him. Gimmy noticed Hinata pull out her weapon, and feared the blade would hit Darry by accident. Within a moment, he had covered his crush, and taken the blow from the sickle. The attack made contact with Mizuki, and he fell onto the ground, clutching his face.

Naruto sighed, and shook his head again. Why couldn't that bastard accept defeat? Was it too much for his meager brain to comprehend? He walked over to Hinata, and placed his hand on her arm. She noticed his presence, and lowered her weapon. She hugged him tightly, and he wrapped his arms around her. One of his jobs as the boyfriend was to comfort her when she needed it. That, and he just couldn't stand to see her upset. Screw the old ways! He would comfort her even if she wasn't his girlfriend.

"Well, I think this is a shitty way to end the night, huh?" asked Sarutobi.

Naruto looked over at the old man, and sighed. If the Old Man had time to smoke his pipe, why didn't he help Hinata? He could have finished the doushebag off within a second. Hinata released Naruto, and brought out a kunai. She looked at Naruto, and he saw an evil glint appear in her eyes. She grabbed Mizuki's ankle, and dragged him out of the room. Everyone looked at each other, wondering what she would do to him. Naruto could only fear for the poor, pathetic man.

Suddenly, a loud scream was heard from the bathroom down the hall Hinata had dragged Mizuki. The scream was high pitched, and sounded feminine. Naruto feared for Hinata, but had a feeling that she was fine. It hadn't sounded like her scream. Suddenly, a toilet flushed, and this confused everyone. They heard a match light up, and the scream came again. What the hell was going on?

A minute later, Hinata walked in, the kunai she had was extremely bloody, as was her hand. Sarutobi adopted a worried look, and rushed off to check on Mizuki, with Gimmy close behind. Darry walked up to Hinata, and handed her a rag. Hinata began to clean her hand and the knife. That was when Darry asked the question everyone had been thinking.

"Hinata…W-What d-did you do t-to him?"

Hinata stopped cleaning her tool, and looked up. She adopted a thoughtful look, then changed it to an evil smirk. She tossed the kunai into a nearby plant, and finished cleaning her hand. Then she spoke, slowly and calmly.

"Simple, I dragged him into the bathroom. There, I castrated him, and flushed his genitalia into the toilet. Any manhood he still had left, is now floating in a giant pile of shit. I also burned the stump, preventing any chance of regrowth, if that is even possible."

Both Naruto and Darry aquired a WTF face. Darry looked like she would throw up, and Naruto placed both of his hands over his own set. He felt for Mizuki, in a way only a man could. Naruto now understood two things: One, DON'T PISS HINATA OFF. Two, violating Number One is the LAST thing you NEVER want to do, especially if you are a man. At this time, both Sarutobi and Gimmy walked in, a disgusted look plain on both their faces. Gimmy was the first to break the silence.

"Hinata, did you really have to do that to him? I think that was a bit overkill."

"I-urp…I agree. Girl, I understand that some things can't be forgiven, but to neuter him and flush the severed piece down the drain…Oh God, I'm gonna puke again!"

Sarutobi dashed out of the room, and everyone heard him spill his guts in the bathroom. Then, they heard the most disturbing thing ever.

"OH GOD! IT'S All OVER HIS STUMP! OH GOD, IT'S MIXING WITH THE BLOOD…BLURGH!"

There was silence for a minute…or ten. Darry looked like she would puke too. Gimmy was trying to ignore everything that just happened, and wake Kamina up. Hinata was simply looking down, her face held nothing but contempt, and an evil smirk. Naruto finally broke the silence.

"…Time to go."

He grabbed Hinata's hand, and shun-shined back home. Upon arrival, Hinata broke his grasp and walked over to her bed. She held a strange look on her face. It was not one of anger, creepy happiness, or one of evil. It was more blank than anything.

"Hinata, I know this is a stupid question to ask, but are you okay?"

"Hmmm? Oh I'm fine, just…unsure."

"Of what?"

"Whether or not I should've gone easy on him."

"…Well, he is alive, right?"

'Yeah, so?"

"Then you went easy on him. But I gotta say, that was weird back there. It wasn't like you, to do what you did to him."

"What can I say? He grabbed my ass, and called me a whore. NO ONE gets away with with calling me that. And I refuse to let anyone but you touch me Naruto."

Both of the genin blushed at this comment. Naruto decided to end the night with that, and he went to the closet, to grab his night clothing. He tried to think calm thoughts, but Ryu and Dinah refused to let him.

"_**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! MASTER NARUTO, YOU PICKED THE perfect GIRL! THIS IS GOING DOWN IN MY LIST OF FAVORITE METHODS OF TORTURE! IT'S TOP TEN MATERIAL!"**_

_I AGREE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! SO PRICELESS!_

"_I-It was j-just an act i-in the heat o-of the m-moment! R-Right M-Master Naruto?"_

"_Nina, I certainly hope you are right. I'll just have to hope they find his…stuff, and use your healing spell to fix this. Otherwise, Mizuki better hope he gets the death penalty. Also, Ryu and Dinah?"_

"_**YES?"**_ They asked in unison.

"_You, Ryu, are a first class loser (RYU OWNED COUNT: 2) with no "Sadistic Off Switch." (RYU OWNED COUNT: 3) Dinah, you are quite the same as him, (DINAH OWNED COUNT: 1) but you don't get the "right" to be called 'sadistic' (DINAH OWNED COUNT: 2)."_

"_**WELL I NEVER!"**_

With that, Naruto changed in silence. He climbed into his bed, and looked over at the second bed. Hinata was fast asleep, pure calmness on her face. It was scary, the fact that behind such a beautiful face, there was an evil side to her. Naruto only hoped that this was the last time that "Dark Hinata" would ever surface. He closed his eyes, still looking upon the only girl he would someday marry, and fell asleep. His dreamt of Hinata, and the fateful day, years from now.

About one hundred miles away from the village on Konoha, a single ninja clothed in black and purple dashed through the trees. He stopped at a cave, hidden from view by a large cloak. He walked inside, and down the stairs. He proceeded through the empty halls, and halted at two large doors. He knocked softly, and opened them. He walked across the large room, and knealt in front of his master.

"Sire, I come bearing bad news. It seems Lieutenant Mizuki failed, and was captured, castrated, and thrown up on."

The white skinned man burst out laughing. It was a sinister, creepy laugh, that shook the lowly grunt to his very core. After three minutes of uninterrupted laughter, the man stopped.

"Well then, it sssseemssss that we underesssstimated the boy, didn't we?"

"Lord, he showed a genius that is on par with that of a jonin. It also seems he has aquired a large weapon similar to yours."

"Well then, I sssshould ssssend a tesssst to him. Inform Fifth SSSSeat Gato, Third SSSSeat Haku, and Commander Zabuza to begin purging the Land of Wavessss. Alsssso, make ssssure they know not to kill the ssssmithsssss. It will be important for them to be alive during thissss."

"Right away, Sire!"

The grunt got up, and quickly walked out of the room, shivers traveling down his spine. Orochimaru cackled again, thinking of his magnificent plan. If everything went as fortold, the child of Namikaze would take up the mission with the Uchiha boy, and the son of White Fang. It was only a matter of time. But Orochimaru also had this feeling of unease. It puzzled him, this feeling. Like the Third Hokage, he knew to trust his feelings. But surely the two boys, and that man couldn't defeat an awakened demon, his blood-line brat, and a giant robot?

That reminded him, the lowling had told Orochimaru the Fox Child had gained a 'large weapon' like the one that fell from the sky a half-week ago. If Naruto truly had one as well, did that mean that there were even MORE than the two already in Orochimaru's possession? He shall have Zabuza aquire this one for him as well. What was to go wrong?…


	14. Chapter 14

The Uzumaki Brigade

Naruto had a strange dream last night. He figured that it would be about fighting Mizuki, or the events that transpired at the Hyuuga mansion. Instead, he was at some king of wedding. He looked around, and noticed two familiar faces among the crowd, Gimmy and Darry. He walked over to them, and was about to ask them a question, when everyone turned to look down the aisle. Naruto turned to look at what held their attention, and found himself stunned into silence. Walking down the aisle was a beautiful woman, more so than Cougar, but less than Hinata.

Her hair was bright blue, and her eyes sparkled brightly. Within them, Naruto thought he saw pink flowers. Her dress was a brilliant white that tied around her neck and her waist. Upon her head was the ceremonial veil, fastened down with red roses. The bouquet she held contained the same roses, but in a larger quantity. Naruto noticed cherry blossoms falling around them, and began to survey the area. They were in a large clearing, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. The time was perfect for a wedding.

Naruto followed along with the ceremony, staring at the groom all the while. Whoever he was, he looked a bit like Kamina. He had dark blue hair, which contradicted the bride's hair quite nicely. He wore a white tuxedo, with a yellow necklace and-…That wasn't a necklace!

Upon closer inspection, Naruto noticed that this man was wearing a core drill around his neck. Naruto couldn't wait to get his from Gimmy and Darry. He placed his right hand around the area that the key would be hanging at, and clenched the air around it. He could almost feel the small drill, the chain hanging around his neck…Wait a minute!

Naruto looked down, and found the core drill was indeed within his hand. He opened it, and stared hard at the small key. He closed his fist again, and looked up. The preacher closed his book, and the two newlyweds kissed. Everyone erupted into cries of joy, some even began to weep. Naruto was looking at the crowd for familiar faces, and stopped on this woman with a suit on.

She had long, red hair that flowed down to her waist. But it was the suit that confused Naruto. Why was she wearing a suit to a wedding? Was this girl a tomboy or something? Naruto noticed a worried look on her face, as she stared at the now married couple. He turned to see what was troubling her, and noticed the bride begin to vanish.

"Nia, I will never forget you…Through the end of the Universe," said the groom, with a loving smile on his face.

"But silly, it'll never end. That's what we all worked so hard for," was Nia's reply.

"Hehe…Yeah, you're right."

"…I love you so…Simon."

"Yeah, I do too…I love you…"

With that, the woman named Nia vanished entirely. The only remnant of her existence was a ring that fell to the ground, and rolled to the feet of the Tomboy. Everyone was silent, even Naruto. It was truly a tearful thing to witness, even if you didn't know that person. Naruto felt the tears build in his eyes, and he let them flow forth, not caring who saw.

"…Simon…" was all the Tomboy said, a worried look on her face.

"…It's all right…We knew this would happen…Both of us knew."

Darry stepped forward, and spoke out. "Yeah, but, it's not-"

"Defeating the anti-spirals meant… that this was going to happen." He said.

"Nia…was a virtual life form of the Anti-Spirals…I'm amazed she hung on as long as she did."

Naruto turned to look at the origin of the voice. The person he saw looked human, but with small fangs, raggedy hair, and claws. His clothing told Naruto that he was male, with a personality like Sasuke's. If Naruto met this person, he would most likely hate this guy. Although, this man appeared to be half human, and half beast, so he was already leagues above Sasuke.

"She always was one tough cookie," said a slightly feminine voice.

Naruto turned to look at this person too, and saw it was a man. His hair was bluish-purple, and he had a large forehead. He wore purple mascara, which in a sense, complimented his hair. He wore a white tux undershirt, with black pants. While this was clearly a dude, Naruto had only one thought going through his head…

…_Gay!_

Gimmy looked crushed, the evidence was plain on his face. At this time, he spoke up.

"Well then, you should just use the power of the spiral! Why can't you use that power to bring Nia back? And not just her! What about all the other people we lost?"

'Sorry, but Simon isn't God…Gimmy."

Simon walked down the aisle, and stopped at Gimmy.

"Those who are dead, are dead. If we bring them back to life, they'll just get in the way of the next generation, right?

He placed something in Gimmy's hand, and closed it. Then he began to walk away.

"It's in your hands now, Rossiu."

The preacher took a step forward, and spoke up.

"But Simon-"

"I'm just…Simon the Digger. There's better people to go down the tunnels I dug."

"…You can count on me."

Gimmy opened his hand, and gaped. Naruto did as well, when he saw that Simon had given the core drill to Gimmy. Simon took off his jacket, and tossed it away, quickly replacing it with a tattered, worn cape, not unlike Kamina's.

"We had lots of fun, didn't we?" asked the gay guy.

"SIMON!" shouted the Tomboy.

She tossed the ring from Nia, and without looking, Simon caught it over his shoulder. With that, he began to walk away.

Naruto awoke from his dream, the events that transpired still fresh in his mind. He thought about who he saw, the names he heard, and why Gimmy and Darry didn't see him. How did he know those people? Naruto looked turned his head to look at the clock. 5:32 a.m. It would be another twenty-eight minutes before they needed to leave. Now was the perfect time to get up and make some breakfast for the two of them. Naruto sat up, and looked over at Hinata. She was still asleep, cuddled up under Naruto's covers and…WHAT?

Naruto tried as hard as he could not to shout out. How did she get under his covers? He prayed that nothing happened while he was unconscious, it was still too soon for 'that'. Naruto checked his person to make sure he was still wearing clothes. Luckily, he found his night clothing was still in place. He calmly, and slowly, got out of bed, and walked over to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, and pulled out two eggs, an orange, and a bit of ham. He opened the cabinets below the sink, and pulled out a frying pan. He looked around the kitchen, and after a minute, found the salt and pepper. He turned the stove on to low, and placed the ham on the pan, and placed that on the burner. He applied salt to the scrap of meat very thoroughly. He repeated this process with the eggs, and then proceeded to peel the orange.

Hinata smelled something nice, and opened her eyes. She turned her head, and found the clock said 5:38 a.m. She remembered that today was the day that every new genin would be assigned a cell leader. This made her remember her dream, where she was paired with the Pink and Yellow Banshees (Sakura and Ino). Naruto had been paired with Shikamaru and Sylvia, a most depressing dream for Hinata. Then she had that wedding dream again, except this time it was clearer. This time, everyone had a voice, and some things were explained. But she truly felt sorry for that boy, Simon was it?

Hinata sat up, and began to rub a sore spot on her head. She could've sworn that Naruto had given her the soft bed, him being the gentleman that he is. She looked around, and found her bed…five feet away from her. OH NO! That meant…she was in Naruto's bed! Hinata blushed super red, and buried her face in her hands. She would've squealed in embarrassment, had she not been afraid to wake Naruto. Hinata looked to the side, expecting him to be unconscious, only to find him M.I.A.

This would explain the delicious smell that permeated the room. Hinata turned towards the kitchen, and saw Naruto cooking diligently. He didn't even notice that she was awake. Hinata got out of bed, and felt her clothes move with her. She forgot to check for those, but it relieved her that nothing had happened last night…but only a little.

Hinata walked over to the counter, and waited for Naruto to turn around. After he finished cooking the ham, and eggs, he began to squeeze the juice from the orange, making one full glass. After everything was finished, Naruto grabbed the plate and the juice, and turned to put them on the counter. He noticed Hinata, blushed lightly, and placed the food and drink on the counter.

"Mornin' Hinata! How'd you sleep?"

"Uh, good morning Naruto-kun! I guess I slept fine. I had this reoccurring dream again involving a wedding."

Hinata began to eat the eggs, while Naruto had a thought. Is it possible that Hinata had the same dream he had list night? Was this some kind of trick? If she did have the same dream as Naruto, was it mere coincidence, or more than that? Naruto had to know.

"Hinata, in this dream, was Gimmy and Darry there?"

Hinata stopped eating now. In fact, she dropped the fork when Naruto asked. Was he kidding? Did Naruto have the same dream as her? Was he able to tell these things just from hearing a few words? Did he put salt on the ham?

"Y-Yes! Did you have the same dream too Naruto?"

"I believe so. Do you think someone is trying to send us a message or something?"

"If they are, then I think I know what we need to do."

Just then, Naruto hears a quiet knock at the door, and goes to open it. He remembered what happened last time he opened the door, and decided to take a step back quickly upon turning the knob. As he does this, Hinata is leaning against the wall a slight distance from the door, to prevent herself from getting dog piled again. Naruto steps back, and lets the door open slowly.

Standing within the doorway, was Shikamaru, holding his head with his right hand, and his left in his pocket with the thumb hooked out. He had this lazy, hunched pose that said he really didn't want to be here right now. Naruto and Hinata stepped forward, and decided to invite him in.

"This is such a drag…You two aren't ready yet? We have to be at the academy in like, ten minutes."

"We had a long night man, cut us some slack."

"Whatever, I don't care really. This is all just some troublesome shit that I have to go through. I'd really like to get it over with, so can you guys just hurry up?"

"…Give me five minutes, and Hinata about eight."

Naruto closed the door, and walked over to the closet. He pulled out a pair of his new clothes, and tossed Hinata a few pieces as well. She went into the shower, and began her daily ritual of cleansing. Naruto yanked off his shirt, and quickly replaced it with the clean one. He removed his pants and tossed the dirty garments into a clothes bin in the corner, then pulled on his clean pair. He sniffed at the air for a second, and detected a hint of lilac in the air. He put this out of his head, and began to look for his kunai pouch. After finding it, he walked over to his nodaichi, and placed them on his back, Dinah on the right, Nina on the left.

"You ready girls?"

"_Always, Master Naruto!"_

"_**So we get a master today right? I hope we get to fight them! Yesterday's 'fight' was lame and a pathetic waste of ability and time."**_

"While I agree with you Dinah, you should lighten up just a little. We won, Mizuki got his ass beat, and Hinata castrated him. It's a win win situation."

"_**Whatever, but I want some ramen after we finish up today."**_

"Yeah yeah, I hear you. How do you two feel about ramen, Nina, Ryu?"

_Sounds good to me. Can I have blood in mine?_

"_I don't mind, but can I have a veggie serving?_

"Sure Nina, that's fine. Oh, and Ryu? You are so FUCKED UP! No blood for you!"

**RYU OWNED COUNT: 3**

The bathroom door opened and Hinata stepped out, a glow from the sun enveloping her, making her hair shine in a beautiful way. Naruto couldn't help but stare, as he felt a desire to be with her that was stronger than the Demon Fox. Hinata smiled, the kind, pure smile that only a truly innocent, and kind-hearted person could show.

"Hey you two, are you done yet? I'd like to get to the academy sometime this year, if you don't mind…"

For a lazy bastard, Shikamaru certainly knew when to ruin things. Was it his goal to torment them endlessly? Either way, the two genin were ready to leave, so Hinata grabbed her sickle, and walked out the door with Naruto.

"Shikamaru, is it always gonna be like this?"

"I don't know Naruto, are you two always gonna be lovey dovey little idjits? Just hurry up and get your love life in place so we can all just move on."

"…Duuuuude, that was way uncalled for."

"…Yeah well…Your mom!"

"…Is dead and I never got to meet her."

"…"

"…"

"…Your face!"

"…Okay, that is about all I can handle. Hinata, let's just leave him."

Hinata nodded in agreement, and the two shun-shined over to the academy. Hinata was glad to be away from that insensitive bastard. Did Naruto really have to work with him? Hinata felt sorry for whoever had to work with Shikamaru on their team. They were going to have to babysit Shikamaru forever.

"Hinata, I pray that you end up with someone less…like a complete doushe."

"So do I, Naruto-kun. But however this is done, it will be what it will be."

Iruka walked up to the two genin, and placed one hand on each of their shoulders. He gave them a large grin, and simply walked away, leaving Naruto and Hinata confused as hell. Did Iruka always act this strange on graduation day? Naruto simply shrugged it off, and led Hinata over to a nice seat in the back of the room by a window. They sat there is silence, Naruto staring at the sun, Hinata staring at Naruto. Finally, he broke the silence.

"…Hinata, what do you think of the sun?"

"…I don't know what to say to that. It rises every morning, and sets every evening. It goes forever, and promises us that it will be back again."

"Yeah, but it also brings hope and sorrow. With every morning, we feel the sorrow of thinking, 'Is this our last day alive? Will we die today, having lived our life to the fullest?' As the sun wanes, we stare at the horizon, the one that gives a graceful beauty, and we think, 'We lived another day, and we get to look back, tell the children of Tomorrow what happened Yesterday, and pass on our knowledge. They in turn, used what we gave them to better themselves, and tell the children of THEIR Tomorrow what happened to them on that day.' Is it just an endless cycle, or something deeper?"

"…"

"Hinata, I don't know what today will hold for us. And tomorrow is just as uncertain as this one. But so long as I'm with you, I can carry on, and give the children of Tomorrow a better chance. I know what I fight for, and who I care about. If I hold these things close to my heart, the there is no way I can lose, right?"

"R-Right Naruto-kun! And I'll be beside you every step of the way! You can count of me!"

The door opens, and Shikamaru steps in. He walks over to Naruto and Hinata, then steps down to sit on the row in front of them. He sighs heavily, and looks at Naruto. He blinks twice, and sighs again. He lazily shakes his head, and opens his mouth to speak. When no words come out, he closes it, and gains a thinking face. Finally, he speaks up.

"Naruto…Sorry about earlier. You were right, what I said was uncalled for. I was way out of line, and I apologize. I'm just having a case of the Mondays."

"…It's Thursday."

"I don't know what day it is any more. Truthfully, I don't care either."

"…You know, for someone to have a case of the Mondays, they just have to experience something they normally would on a Monday. It doesn't actually have to be that day."

The trio turn to the back of the room, and see Shino leaning against the wall. He looks at them with an expression no one can identify behind his shades and colar. Naruto was wondering when he got there, and how. Hinata was wondering how long he had been there, listening to them. Shikamaru was trying NOT to think, as his head hurt enough already. Silence permeated the room, until Hinata asked the question everyone was thinking.

"S-Shino, how long have you um…been right there?"

Shino looked at Hinata, and simply shrugged. His gaze returned to the door, and left everyone thinking '_What was that about?_' Naruto was already confused as is, so he decided to try a different question.

"Shino, if you had to take a guess, how long do you think you've been here?"

"…What day is today?"

"…Uhhhh, Thursday. I thought you were listening to our conversation earlier."

"I was. Now then, how long have I been here?…Hmmm. Carry the two…Eliminate the five… About fourteen years is how long I've been here."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"To be fair Naruto, you DID ask him how long he's been here. You just didn't ask the right way."

"Argh! Shut up Shikamaru! Shino, how long have you been listening in on our converation?"

"Oh, that's what you meant…About since you got here, Naruto. By the way, that was preety deep, what you said. About the sun, and the children of Tomorrow?"

"…Riiiiiight. Uh, thanks, I guess. I wasn't really trying to be deep."

"That means you have enormous potential, mentally anyways."

"Naruto-kun, can we move somewhere else? I feel a bit cramped right here."

"Sure Hinata, you can pick this time."

Hinata turned to see if any good seats were available, and found that the room was completely void of all life, save for six people. The only people in the room now was Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Shino, Choji, and Sasuke. Naruto looked around the room, hoping that there was still someone else in here. Upon finding no answer, he spoke up.

"Where the hell did everybody go?"

Shikamaru was the first to answer his question.

"Off to get to know their teams. Iruka began to call out team members when I walked in. He finished when Shino spoke up, since then, everyone has been gradually leaving the room. Their mentors got them, and whisked them off on grand adventures around the town, and shit like that. To me, it sounds WAY to troublesome, and a waste of time. Just thinking about it gives me a migrain."

"Then beside you and me, who is our third teammate, Shikamaru?"

"You didn't hear? It was-"

"Hold on Shikamaru. Let them figure it out on their own. This'll just be a lesson to them, one that says to PAY ATTENTION in class."

"…Way too troublesome. But I don't care really, so long as I get a few minutes of sleep, I'll be content."

'"Shikamaru-san, you sleep way too much."

"You think so Hinata? I always thought I didn't sleep enough."

"B-But…You sleep all the time in class! How can you even THINK you aren't getting enough sleep?"

Shino picked this moment to intervene on the conversation.

"Naruto, calm down. Let me explain for you. Shikamaru does indeed sleep in class, but only for about two hours at a time. For three hours, he actually listens in on the teacher. For about one hour, he draws on his desk, erasing his bad designs diligently. The rest of the time in class is spend creating extensive plans and manuevers using what he learned. Some of his plans could easily let two teams of genin defeat the Hokage in a matter of minutes. Am I leaving anything out Shikamaru?"

"Yeah, you forgot the part where I crush your little spy bug."

"I didn't leave that out, I just thought it should be kept private, as it only involved me and you."

Hinata looked a bit confused, as did Naruto. He spoke out, interested about this spy bug thing.

"What was that about spy bugs? I'm curious."

"…*Sigh* Shikamaru, why couldn't you leave that part out? I like my friends to be under the radar, if you understand. Anyways, I have control over insects, as you two already know." Both Naruto and Hinata nodded. "So naturally, I might have a few that will spy for me. I plant them on random spots on my targets, and they provide feedback through a special chakra connection. They tell me all about that person, and who they really are. That being said, I know all about your special mission Naruto, Hinata. I know all about Gimmy, Darry, and Kamina too. There is nothing you two can hide from me."

Naruto and Hinata looked shocked as they realized that they had not been careful enough about this. But who was supposed to expect an insect boy to plant little bugs on people and learn everything about them? Naruto felt his rage build up, and carefully picked his next words.

"…DAMMIT SHINO! Do you have ANY IDEA what will happen to the masses if this gets leaked?" Naruto whispered, trying to prevent his rage from shouting at the eavesdropper.

"Of course. I never said I told any one. But I do know about it. Kind of funny if you ask me. I, someone you barely know, have all the details about you, where Shikamaru, someone you will be working with, has no idea what we are talking about. Should I fill him in, or will you do so later?"

"…Shino-san, please let us be the ones to tell him. But since you know, that means two things. The first is that we must report this to the Hokage. The second, we will speak of later. As for now-"

A knock is heard on the door, and Itachi uchiha pops his head in. He looks around the room, resting his gaze on Naruto for a moment. Naruto felt daggers stab him in the stomach, but he showed no signs of weakness. People like him would crush Naruto at the first sign. Itachi turned his attention to Sasuke, and his eyes became a bit softer. He closed his eyes, and stepped all the way through the door. He placed his hands in his pockets, leaned against the wall, and sighed.

"…You know who I am, and you know who I'm here for. Those I'm here for, you know who you are. We're leaving now, if you aren't in the hall in the next thirty seconds, I will stab your leg with a rusty kunai, and drag your ass around the room. Get moving!"

Sasuke stood up, and began to leave. Naruto began to stand up, but a hand from Shikamaru told him to stay seated. Shino got off his wall, and walked down the steps to the door. He pulled one hand out of his pocket, and extended it in the air. His way of saying 'See you later.' Then he called out to them.

"Later Naruto, Shikamaru!…C'mon, fat boy."

"DON'T CALL ME FAT, QUEER! I WILL RAPE YOU WITH A HOT IRON LADLE!"

"Whatever…Just get moving or Sensei will rape YOU with a rusty kunai."

Choji gulped loudly, and got up. He walked out of the room mumbling to himself. As the door closed, Naruto put the last piece of the puzzle in place. The only people left in the room were Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata. As enlightenment struck Naruto, Hinata gave a cry of joy.

"YAAAAY! I'm on Naruto-kun's team! I won't be lonely or have to kill a screaming banshee!" (Both Ino and Sakura sneezed into each other's face. This started the first bitch fight that the two of them would perform daily, right beside Tenten, who failed to pass the test last year.)

"Congrats you two. Just don't spend every moment of it kissing, or I'll kill myself."

"Be quiet Shikamaru-san. You're just jealous," Hinata said with a mocking tone.

"Two things Hinata. One: I'm not jealous, I could get a girl anytime I wanted. Two: If you keep adding 'san', 'chan', or 'kun' to everyone's name, I will personally rip out your tongue, and shove it up Naruto's ass."

"And if you touch me, I will shove an exploding kunai so far up YOUR ass, you'll cough up the note."

"…Touché."

"Hinata could fuck you up with ease, Shikamaru. I'd treat her with the respect she deserves."

The paper door opens again, and Kurenai steps through the door. She looks up at the three genin, and beckons for them to follow her. She steps out of the room, leaving them alone once again. Shikamaru stands, and begins to walk, as does Naruto. He turns around, attempting to hold hands with Hinata, but she is still in her seat, with her arms crossed and a pout on her face.

"Naruto-kun, I don't like her! Can we try to petition for a new team?"

"I don't think we can Hinata. Why? You don't like her any more? I thought you two were friends?"

"We were, until graduation exams. That morning…Oh never mind! Let's just go already!"

Naruto extends his hand to help Hinata up, which she graciously accepts. Hand in hand, they walk out of the room, following Shikamaru. In the hall, Kurenai is impatiently tapping her foot, hoping that her new students aren't normally this slow. As they enter the hall, she starts for the stairs down, and the three gening follow her. They leave the building, and walk through town, all the way to a training field.

Naruto and Hinata look around, trying to get a feel for this area. It was a moderate sized clearing, with a pond nearby. On the other side of the pond, Naruto thought he saw a flag pole with three logs sticking out of the ground. Besides the direction of the pond, and the path they took here, the area was surrounded by trees. It held all familiar types of terrain that ninjas used, except for rocky mountains.

"Okay you three, take a seat…Now then, my name is Kurenai, but you guys will call me Kurenai-sensei, got that?"

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei," all three of them said with no enthusiasm.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"YES, KURENAI-SENSEI!" they shouted.

"_**Hehe, I like this bitch! Me and her could be friends."**_

"_Dinah, do not call our Master's sensei a bitch! That is disrespectful!"_

"_**Bah! It's not like she can hear me. We are in Master's mind, where no one can listen to our words."**_

"…"

"_**Good pixie, just stay silent until the end of time, and we will never have a problem!"**_

"_Can you guys go FIVE minutes without fighting? Do you have ANY idea what it's like having three people inside your head? I can't even keep my thoughts private! MY thoughts, in MY head!"_

"_**Chill Master Naruto, it's all in good fun! We don't mean any harm by it."**_

"_Nonetheless, hearing a constant bickering, as well as a constant desire for blood, is getting on my nerves! Hearing bloodlust from Ryu is bad enough, but to hear it from TWO SPIRITS is too much!"_

"_I apologize Master Naruto, she is a kind spirit, but fears what may become should she reveal it."_

"_What…may become?"_

"_**Lies! Anyways, shouldn't you be focused on Sensei?"**_

Naruto snapped his attention back to Kurenai, who was glaring at Naruto. He felt a bit of her KI leak through her control, and wondered if she was doing it on purpose. He decided to release a bit of his own, except it would be fused with Ryu's and Dinah's. He exuded the malicious power, hoping that maybe a show of strength would do some good.

"You know Naruto, radiating bloodlust and kindness at the same time only weakens the effect. Right now, your KI is saying you want to kill me, and protect me at the same time."

Naruto realized that he had accidentally picked up Nina's presence instead of Dinah's. They were identical beings, so it would be natural for Naruto to confuse them from time to time. He quickly switched out, and forced Ryu's KI to double.

"That's better, but still, it's not strong enough. At best, you might scare a kitten."

"What a drag. Naruto, chill with the dark energy man, you're bumming me out right now."

"Naruto-kun, can you please seal your KI? Minato is going crazy right now."

"Urk, uh…Sorry Hinata, I didn't mean for that."

Naruto pulled his KI back, and closed his connection with the violent spirits. Was Kurenai serious about his KI? He was practically glowing with the power he released just now!

"Anyways, now that we're finished with that, let's get down to business! I want you three to show me your abilities. Each of you will spar one-on-one with me, using everything at your disposal. Don't hold back, as this is a test of what you can do. It determines the jobs we will do, the payment you receive, and other things. Let's start with you, the lazy one."

"Damn, this is such a pain. When do we begin?"

Within the blink of an eye, Kurenai positioned herself behind Shikamaru, with a kunai to his neck. He didn't even blink, and suddenly Kurenai released him. She mimicked his stance, and moved like he did, kind of like a mirror.

"Not bad kid, but you should also realize I'm a Jounin."

Suddenly, Kurenai was gone, and the genin realized that they had been under a genjutsu. Naruto looked at Hinata, and she looked at him. They nodded, and made the Rat handsign.

"Release!" they cried in unison.

Feathers erupted from thin air around their bodies, and they saw Kurenai hadn't even moved. Hinata took a step forward, but Naruto held her back with a hand. He shook his head, indicating that something wasn't right. They released once more, and found that Kurenai was gone.

Shikamaru was standing in the clearing like an idiot; his eyes were just staring off into space. It was obvious that he was still under the genjutsu. Naruto made the Rat handsign again, and used Release on Shikamaru. His eyes shut tight for a moment and opened quickly. He looked around the area, and saw only Naruto and Hinata.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Our sensei is Kurenai, the genjutsu master. She had us under one for a while most likely. I assume we are under one right now. She most likely has under multiple illusions, all layered together. We can continue to Release, but at this rate, we will tire before she does. In a match of stamina and strength, she outclasses us all by FAR. We need a plan, and quick."

"Hmph, what a drag. I guess I have no choice, do I? Fine then, leave the plan to me. How long can you two stall her?"

"I can go for about two hours, Hinata can for about one-and-a-half."

"…Give me five minutes."

"You got three."

Naruto and Hinata crowded around Shikamaru, and took up their respective taijutsu stances, with their backs to the lazy bastard. He crouched on the ground, and made a weird handsign Naruto had never seen before. His hands were not touching, except at the tips of the fingers. Each one touched the same finger on the opposite hand, with his thumbs being above the others. He held this pose, and remained silent.

"You kids don't get it yet, do you? No matter what you do, you won't be winning."

Naruto released once again, and saw Kurenai standing there, just looking at them. A fog suddenly creeped in overhead, covering the clearing. Naruto couldn't see ten inches in front of him. He knew he was under a genjutsu again, and released once more.

"Shikamaru, you got one minute! Hurry up!"

"Don't rush genius!"

Naruto formed the Rat handsign, and released chakra. Kurenai appeared out of nowhere, and struck him with a kunai. The attack itself didn't hurt, but where it connected did. The blade landed on his wrist, causing his hand to go limp.

"Shikamaru, time's up!"

"That's fine, now split!"

Hinata threw down a smoke bomb, and the three genin shadow stepped away from the clearing. When they felt they were a safe distance, they halted, and began to talk strategy.

"Shikamaru-san, what is the plan?"

"Simple, one of us distracts her, while the other two set up traps within the area. We create a trap that she will trigger, which will activate others if she dodges them, and the process will repeat until she grows weary. After that, it's just clean up."

"That works for me. Shikamaru, you and Hinata go lay the traps. I'll stall Sensei and buy you time."

"But Naruto-kun, how will you do it? Your arm, it is limp! You won't be able to make handsigns!"

"Worry not Hinata. I have my ways."

She nodded, and with that, they shadow stepped away, one to greet their teacher, the other two to prepare for a chaotic match. As Naruto came within sight of the clearing, he used his one good hand to create a mass of thirty clones that in turn, created about ten clones. With his legion of clones set for war, Naruto stormed the field.

Upon entering the area, he found his teacher was absent. He looked around, and released once more. After one final check to make sure she wasn't around, he had his legion separate into five squads, each composed of six clones. He instructed each squad to search a different piece of the forest, and report any findings immediately. He also instructed them to not engage Kurenai, but to lure her back to this clearing.

"Naruto, just give up. You can't win."

Naruto didn't even flinch when he heard the voice of his teacher behind him. He simply placed his hands in his pockets, and turned around. He sighed, and spoke up.

"…Kurenai-sensei, maybe you should have some faith in your students. To underestimate us is to seal your fate."

"Please, three genin fresh out of the academy have no chance against-"

"-Against a recently promoted Jounin?..What? You're surprised that I know. I'm a ninja, it is my job to know."

"Whatever, enough talk! Let's end this."

Kurenai dashed at Naruto with a kunai drawn. She slashed, but he ducked, sweeping his leg out in front of him. Kurenai jumped, and Naruto smirked as he sent his other leg out to meet her stomach. She coughed up a bit of blood, and 'poofed', leaving a log in her place. Naruto stood up, and withdrew a kunai from his pouch. He glanced around the clearing, and couldn't find Kurenai anywhere. He released, and saw her standing in front of him.

"Are we just gonna go in an endless circle of genjutsu and release? It's getting old."

"'Use whatever tactics you have available to defeat your enemy and complete the mission.' That is rule seven of the Ninja Way. Do you think your enemy will listen to you and oblige if you ask them to stop using their skills? Naruto, it's high time you learned how the real world works."

"Sensei, I know how the world works. I've been hated by it for as long as I can remember."

Naruto stick his hands back in his pockets, and turned towards the pond. He looked at the calm, undisturbed water, then to the bright, cloudless sky. A bird sounded off in the distance, and Naruto turned back to his teacher. The wind picked up, blowing through Naruto's spiky, yellow hair.

"Kurenai-sensei, this world may hate me, but I don't hate it. This world made me who I am today. It was also in this world that I met Hinata. So even if it hates me for who I am, turns it back on me, or leaves me for dead, I will protect this world with my last breath. Nothing will get in my way."

Kurenai stared into Naruto's eyes, and saw a fierce determination. She took a step back, and created another illusion.

"That won't work this time."

Naruto was suddenly behind Kurenai with a kunai to her neck. He smirked, and instantly five clones surrounded Kurenai, holding a knife to her neck from all sides.

"You put up your own genjutsu?"

"Yup! It wasn't hard really…Heh…Hehe. It's kind of funny. The 'Genjutsu Master' was just bested by a novice with a weak genjutsu."

"Boy, you have no idea who you are messing with," Kurenai warned him.

"I know exactly who I am messing with. Name: Kurenai Yuhi, Age: 30, Height: 161.1 cm, Weight: 54.4 kg, Sign: Libra, Type: Support, Specialty: Genjutsu. You were promoted to the rank of Jounin about two weeks ago. We are the first cell to fall under your command. Everything after that is unimportant to me…"

"…"

"…"

"… Am I really 162 pounds! I need to exercise more!"

"I just listed off every single piece of personal information about you, and all you are concerned with is your weight?"

"What? A girl has to keep up her looks. It's the only way to lure guys in and crush their hopes of trying to get someone out of their league."

"…And you are telling me this WHY?"

"Because it makes for a good distraction."

Naruto's vision became blurry, and Kurenai vanished. Something cold touched his neck, and Naruto instantly knew. While they were talking, Kurenai had placed another genjutsu on Naruto and escaped his little group.

"…Not bad Sensei, but you do realize that even if you beat me, you still have to deal with Hinata and Shikamaru?"

"They aren't a threat to me. Not even if they rushed me when I was half dead."

"We'll see about that…*_Tweet_**…_Tweet_*"

"Wh-What are you doing?"

"Oh, you like? It's my bird call, I've been practicing…*_Tweet_**…_Tweet_*"

The sound rang throughout the clearing, and could be heard for a mile. After a minute of silence, another call came from within the forest. A kunai came flying at Kurenai, which she dodged easily. It continued to the other side of the clearing, where it sliced a small string. A swarm of kunai came from the ground below Kurenai, which impaled her and Naruto. Kurenai 'poofed' and was replaced with a log, as was Naruto.

The kunai rained down on the field, each triggering another trap meant for Kurenai. Some released senbon needles, other tossed more kunai at her. At one point, Kurenai thought she saw a kitten, but when she blinked, it was gone. She assumed it had been a trick made to distract her while hundreds of kunai tore her to ribbons.

Naruto shadow stepped back onto the branch where Hinata and Shikamaru were waiting for him. Hinata noticed something in his hands, and squealed when she saw the black kitten with a bow tied to it's head. Naruto placed it in her hands, and walked over to Shikamaru.

"Okay, what the HELL is a kitten doing on the field? Please tell me it was not a part of your traps!"

"…Shit. No man, it wasn't. It must've wandered onto the field when we were setting trap number 17. I heard a 'meow', but I dismissed it as nothing. Sorry Naruto."

"…*Sigh* So long as the little fella wasn't involved, no harm no foul. Right?"

"Naruto-kun, Shikamaru-san, what should we do with it?"

Naruto checked the ribbon for some clue as to who the little kitten belonged to, but found nothing. He scratched his head, thinking of what to do with the furball.

"Well since there is no tag, I think we should hold on to it for now. I'll leave it in your care for now, Hinata."

"Yay, I lOVE kittens!"

Hinata began to cuddle to cat, rocking from side to side slowly. It purred in her arms, something that made her squeal again.

"Hey uh, is it a tom, or a tabby?"

"What did you say Shikamaru-san?"

"Is the cat a tom or a tabby?"

Hinata held the cat at arms length, inspecting it for detail on what gender it was. After a minute, she pulled it close to her again, where it purred against her chest.

"It looks like a tom, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Anyways, I wonder what Kurenai-sensei is doing? How many traps did you lay, Shikamaru?"

"Exactly 139 traps, each one triggers the next. If I had to guess, I'd say about 1530 kunai were used for this."

"Was I fighting her that long? Damn, time really flew by."

"No, it was only about five minutes. Hinata made about eighty clones, which made at least ten more, which made two or three more after that. The clones built the traps, and then turned into kunai for them. All I had to do was aim the traps for each other and throw the initial kunai."

Naruto looked dumbfounded, with his mouth gaping widely. Hinata chuckled at this, and began to stroke the kitten. It looked up at her, and licked her chin, tickling her. Naruto smiled and spoke to Shikamaru.

"I'm going to see if our teacher is still alive, you two stay here. If anything happens, try whatever you can think of. I'll whistle when it's clear to come out."

Shikmaru nodded, and Naruto shadow stepped away. When he reached the clearing, he stopped at the last tree. The field looked like a battlefield, with kunai scattered about everywhere. A bit of blood could be seen in some spots, bit it was too little to be noted as important. Naruto walked through the debris, hoping to see some sign of life. He prayed that they hadn't killed their teacher. But even if they were to take the blame, only one of them would be punished. And Naruto KNEW Hinata was not going to go through that. He would pin it all on Shikamaru. It WAS his plan after all. Then a thought occurred to Naruto.

Naruto released, and saw that none of them had moved from the field. Kurenai was standing there, sweat apparent on her face. She was breathing hard, with her back turned to the genin. Both Hinata and Shikamaru had a blank stare on their face, showing that they were still under the jutsu.

"_Had all of this been one large genjutsu?"_

"_Master Naruto, you're awake! I was SO worried! You were just standing there, looking into space! You wouldn't answer me, Dinah, or Ryu! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD! WAHHHHHHHH!"_

"_**SHUT UP PIXIE!…Thank you. Now then, regarding what just happened, we were scared for a few minutes. What happened?"**_

_Yeah, tell us about it. And don't leave out the gorey parts!_

"_Shut it Ryu."_

**RYU OWNED COUNT: 4**

"_Anyways, I guess we were all under a massive web of genjutsus. We had this large fight going on, Shikamaru made about a hundred traps to kill Kurenai, and Hinata found a kitten."_

"_SQUEEE! I LOVE KITTENS!"_

"_**The fighting and the traps sound like something I need to get in on!…And I like cats too…"**_

"_Speaking of which…"_

Naruto looked over at Hinata, who was still holding the kitten. So the whole thing hadn't been a dream! Naruto walked over to the kitten, and begann to scratch under it's chin. It purred loudly, attracting Kurenai's attention.

"Damn. I'm still *_huff **huff_* weak from all *_huff_**_huff_* the jutsus. I can't make any *_huff* _more."

"Then why don't you release them and end the session?"

"*_huff_* _huff_* _huff_* Fine."

Kurenai released her jutsu, and Naruto's teammates snapped back into reality. Shikamaru grabbed his head in pain, Hinata looked around to see what was going on. The kitten purred again, drawing Hinata's attention. She began to cuddle the ball of fluff once more.

"All of you *_huff*_ passed the test."

"…Cool. So what was the purpose of this test again?"

"*_Phew!* _The point of the test was to determine the level of strength each of you possessed. Naruto showed the best qualities found in a leader. Shikamaru, you showed the best qualities of a strategist. Hinata, you didn't really show me anything I liked. I need to see more from you."

"What are you talking about Kurenai-sensei? I made at least a hundred clones during that test!"

"So you have massive chakra reserves. Can you do anything useful?"

"How about my Byakugan?"

"…Well played. You win that one."

After hearing that from Kurenai, Hinata went back to playing with the kitten. Naruto smiled, and turned his attention to Kurenai.

"So are we a team now?"

"Yes, you showed me how well each of you work together. I have confidence in this team! Starting first thing tomorrow morning, we will begin to take assignments. Meet me at the Hokage Tower at 7:00 a.m., and don't be late."

With that, their teacher shun-shined away from the clearing, leaving the three genin by themselves. They looked at each other, and grinned. Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand, and they began to walk away, Shikamaru close behind. They walked back to town, parting ways when they reached Ichiraku's Ramen Stand. After paying for two miso bowls, two veggie bowl, and two shrimp bowls, they walked back to their apartment, talking about what missions they might go on. When the two got home, they sat down, summoned their spirits.

When Naruto summoned Nina and Dinah, Hinata nearly had a heart attack. She pulled her scythe out, and prepared for a fight. Dinah took up a fighting stance, and Nina tried to calm her down. After everyone had settled down did Naruto explain.

"So while I went shopping, you met these spirits in your dream?"

"That pretty much sums it up. I got in a fight with Dinah here," Dinah waved Hinata off like she was nothing. It annoyed her that Naruto had such a spirit. "And after a few minutes, I got them to accept me as their master. It was hard, to say the least."

"_**Yeah, kissing us was VERY difficult."**_ Dinah said in a sarcastic tone.

Silence permeated the room, except for Ryu, who was rapidly devouring his bowl of ramen. After a minute, Hinata stood up and walked over to Naruto. She grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him into the air. Naruto embraced for a massive blow to the head, but instead was kissed by Hinata.

"_**Wh-WHA? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KILL HIM!"**_

"Hmph! You aren't the only one that has kissed Naruto, Dinah! If I ever see you on my man, then you had better say your prayers. I will hunt you down to the ends of this planet and back!"

Naruto sighed in defeat. How was he going to put up with this for the rest of his life? There was no escape now.

"Damn, I'm royally screwed, aren't I?

Hinata, Dinah, and even Nina nodded in agreement. Ryu simply snickered at Naruto, then went back to eat his ramen…


	15. Chapter 15

**THE UZUMAKI BRIGADE**

Naruto was having a weird morning. When he woke up, Hinata was in his bed again. His shower was slightly red…Okay, strike that! His shower looked like it was pouring blood! Naruto had dashed out of the bathroom completely nude, making Hinata faint when she saw him. The eggs burst out of their shells, and began to bake on the counter. And that was just the half of it. All in all, it was a freaky morning.

When Naruto and Hinata finally escaped their apartment, they walked to the Hokage Tower, where Kurenai had said to meet them. But Naruto felt sorry for the cat. Onyx (what Hinata decided to name the cat) would be stuck alone in the house of horrors. If there was one thing Naruto hated, it was a poor, defenseless kitten being trapped in a horrible place. But he couldn't let the cat just roam about. They would lose him and they would never find his owner.

When Naruto and Hinata finally arrived at the Tower, they found Shikamaru waiting for them. He was clutching his head in pain with his left hand. His right hand was holding a scrap of paper. When Naruto got close enough, he saw extremely small text covering the entire page.

"Shikamaru-san, you're here early." Hinata said as she approached him.

"Uuuunh, I'm only here early because my mom wouldn't stop nagging me to go get a couple things from the store. Her voice rose to a pitch that gave me a migrain."

"Damn Shikamaru, that's a large list for a couple things." Naruto said indicating the paper

"If you met my mother, you would understand why this is a FEW things. She has no concept of volume, capacity, or the value of a ryo. If she had a bottomless coin purse, she would end up buying all of Konoha."

"…Remind me never to go to your house."

"If you only knew the half of it."

At that moment, Kurenai shunshined over the sign above the door. She might have looked cool, if she hadn't lost balance and face planted onto the ground seven feet below.

"O-Ow! Who the hell moved the sign?..Hey kids, um, how long have you been there?"

"…What day is today?" Asked Naruto.

"Friday."

"Hmmm…Drop the three…Carry the one…About fifteen years."

"Okay smartass, how long have you three been standing there?"

"Oh, about five minutes. REAL graceful landing there, teacher."

"Shut up, blondie! You look like you just went through Hell! You have no right to talk!"

"If you want to go again woman, I'd happily oblige. But this time I won't hold back."

Hinata slapped Naruto on the arm, then walked over to Kurenai and slapped her across the face a bit harder.

"Naruto-kun, be nice to our teacher…And you Kurenai-sensei, don't insult your disciples. All we have to do is put in a coomplaint, and Naruto here could have you discharged. You really don't want to mess with us."

Naruto put his arm around Hinata, pride on his face. Kurenai began tp rub her cheek where Hinata slapped her. There was a small bit pf anger showing within her eyes. Was it just her, or had Hinata done a complete 360 in her personality?

"Whatever, let's just get a job and get out of here," Kurenai said, upset that a student had slapped her across the face.

They walked through the halls in silence, Naruto holding Hinata's hand, Shikamaru clutching his head, Kurenai glaring at Hinata. When they reached the job offer lobby, Shikamaru decided to wait outside, saying something about too much noise in there. Everyone else just left him there, not really caring if he came or not. It gave him comfort that they had left him to his thoughts..

"Listen Kakashi, I don't care to hear any excuses! You leveled half of the freaking town! Twenty civilians lay dead in the streets, and five of the daimyo's personal guards are among them as well! Even if you DID complete the mission, you will only receive a quarter of the pay! Also, due to issues with the Fire Daimyo, you will be put under probation. Be grateful that the Hokage was able to pull a few strings for you, it won't be happening again!"

Naruto used his pinkie to clean out any blood that clogged his ear. He looked over at the desk, and saw Iruka chewing out some Jounin with white hair. But it seemed like he didn't care, as he was reading some orange book. Naruto couldn't tell what his face looked like, as it was covered up to the nose by a mask the same color as his suit, but it looked like he was blushing. Naruto had a vague memory of seeing this guy somewhere before, but he couldn't remember.

"Iruka-san, anyone ever tell you that your voice is too loud?..Look, I protected the old fart, and exterminated all of his attackers. I completed the mission, so why are you so pissed?"

Iruka shoved a couple bills and coins into the white-haired man's hand, then pointed to the door.

"Just get the fuck out of here Kakashi. I don't want to see your face for the rest of the day."

"Whatever Iruka-san. When you've learned to accept what I say at face value, let me know."

The man named Kakashi walked out, stopping to look at Kurenai and her motley team of Naruto and Hinata. When he say the boy, his eyes paused, almost as if they were looking into his very soul. He smiled, or at least Naruto thought he saw a smile. There was only a slight movement under the mask, but it was the eyes that gave the impression.

"Boy, seven, field three. Kurenai, how'd he do?"

"Fuck off, pedophile."

"Kurenai, sweetie, why you gotta be like that? I'm just asking a simple question!"

"Asshole, stop calling me sweetie! We dated for like, a week, and that was two years ago."

"What can I say, old feelings die hard."

"Piss off!"

Kakashi walked off, a sad, depressed feeling emanated off of him. Naruto dismissed I as N.H.B (None of His Business), and walked over to Iruka with his team. He walked up to the desk, and smiled at his former teacher.

"Good morning Iruka-sensei. Besides what just happened, I trust you are well?"

"Hello Naruto, good to see you. Yeah, I'm pretty good. It's just Kakashi is an ass."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But anyways, I'd like to see what missions are available."

"Ho ho, look at you, all serious-like. Has getting a girlfiend really done that much for you?"

"Iruka, let's just focus on the matter at hand. What's available to us? I know we'll only get d-rank missions, but I'd like to get started."

"…Fine, we'll talk later. Down to business." Iruka was surprised at Naruto's professional manner. He was going to have to talk to Hinata about what she did, in case anoher Naruto-like character came along.

"Kurenai Yuhei, recently promoted Jounin, reporting with a new cell. Ready to undertake d-ranked assignments for training my genin."

"Kurenai eh? Let me just say that you are going to have your hands full with this one," Iruka said indicating Naruto. "He has a large rebellious streak in him."

"You warned me little too late Iruka. I already found out first hand what this kid can do."

"Well then, I'm sure you know what to expect from him. Now one other thing, where is your third genin?"

"Waiting in the hall. Had a migrain and didn't need the noise."

'Alright then, here are the current missions available to your cell."

Iruka pulled three flies from a small folder, handing them to Kurenai. She in turn handed them to Hinata. Naruto looked over her shoulder at the papers, analyzing the details of each mission.

"Hmmm. A retrieval mission, community service, or gardening. How…trivial. What do you want to do Hinata?"

"Um, I'm trying to decide between the retrieval, and community service. Is there an image that comes with the retrieval Iruka?"

"Yes, here is the target. It is a small, black, male cat named Tora. He belongs to the Daimyo's wife. This cat is quite elusive and will attack if he feels threatened. He has fled his owner on multiple occasions. During the times when asked to retrieve Tora, genin will instead attempt to kill him, due to his defensive nature. He is, without a doubt, a constant for genin."

As he said this, Naruto could feel the distain for this cat come off of Iruka's voice. It was clear that Iruka had taken this same mission when he was a genin. Naruto disregarded this, and focused on the image in Hinata's hand.

"Is…Is that Onyx? Hinata, didn't we find this cat yesterday?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Apparently, we completed a mission before we even tried to get one."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you two found Tora? How the hell did you do that?" Iruka was generally surprised at this, something that was beginning to happen frequently, givenn what Sarutobi had told him about Naruto.

"Long story, simply put, we found it while being tested by Kurenai-sensei."

"What….the…fuck."

"Anyways, I'll go back to the apartment and save - er- GET the kitten…I'll be right back."

Naruto shunshined out of the room, only to spawn back a second later holding Tora. He placed the cat gently on the table. When it saw Iruka, it hissed violently, and began to scratch and claw at his face. Iruka went ballistic trying to remove the furball from his face.

"YAHHHHH! GET THIS FUCKING FURBALL OFF OF ME!"

After a minute of watching him run around the room screaming at Naruto to get the cat off of him, Iruka finally yanked the tom off him. His face was littered with many cuts and scratches. He threw Tora across the room, where he smacked the wall hard. His leg twitched once…twice…and he didn't move.

"…Oh…Shit."

"Iruka-sensei! How could you?"

Hinata cried this at the top of her lungs, then ran over to Tora. She kneeled on the ground beside him, and picked up his limp body. She placed her hand over it's chest, trying to find a pulse.

"Oh thank God! Naruto-kun, there's a pulse!"

Iruka sighed heavily, relief plain on his face. Naruto walked up to him, and glared at him.

"Iruka-sensei, I'm going to warn you now. NEVER mistreat animals in Hinata's presence," Naruto hissed at his former teacher. It wasn't just a warning, it was a promise. One that Iruka could feel shake his bones.

"Naruto, what did you expect me to do? The cat tried to kill me a second time! I didn't intend for him to smash against the wall!"

"Look man, I'm just warning you, that's all."

"Anyways, I don't think we should get the daimyo's wife yet. Let's give Tora time to recover. I'll just place this mission on hold for your cell Kurenai. After a week, bring him back, and then we will call the owner."

"Very well then, but we still need to take up a mission. How about the gardening chore?"

"I'll fill out the paperwork right away. The address you are to report to is 781 Japa Street. Now, before anyone comes in and sees the body, you'd best make a quick exit."

"Right, c'mon Naruto, Hinata."

Kurenai began to walk out of the room, Hinata close behind with Tora, Naruto right behind her with the address. When they got Shikamaru and had left the building, only then was the silence broken.

"Kurenai-sensei, I think that Hinata should be sent home with Tora. It would be best for her to care for him."

"Good point Naruto. Hinata, I will grant you a temporary leave to care for the cat. When he is finally able to walk, you will return to duty."

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei."

Hinata bowed and shadow stepped away. Shikamaru, not being in the room at the time, began to pester Naruto about what happened. Naruto told him as they walked to the address, leaving out the part with Kakashi. When Shikamaru heard about how Iruka threw the cat at a wall, he burst out laughing, something that was quite rare for him. Naruto had simply glared at him during this period.

"Okay Shikamaru, calm down. We're here, so try to act professional okay?"

" was good…This is the place? What a shit-hole."

"You aren't a spot of sunshine yourself, doushe." Kurenai looked Shikamaru dead in the eye as she said this.

"…"

" Yeah, that's what I thought. Let's just get this over with so I can go home and get some scotch."

Back at Naruto and Hinata's apartment, Hinata was making a bed for Tora. It was a small cushion fashioned out of her blankets. She went over to the kitchen, and grabbed a small bowl, some milk, and a scrap of fish. She placed the milk and fish right beside the small bed, and walked over to her bed where she had placed Tora. When the cat was on it's small bed, she checked it's pulse again, then used a straw to move drop of milk over to Tora. She held the tube in front of it's face, and he began to lick the drops off of the tube. He purred at this, and fell asleep. When Hinata heard his breathing come at a steady pace, she knew he was fast asleep.

She walked into the complex hallway, and quietly made a clone. She relayed her instructions, and the clone dashed off. It's goal was simple: find a veterinarian to see how badly Tora was injured. After five minutes, the clone came back, a small pudgy man close behind her.

"Hello miss, where is the cat?" He asked at the real Hinata came up to him. The clone had dispelled upon sight of the original.

"Right through here sir."

Hinata led the doctor over to Tora's bed. He kneeled down and began to dig in his bag for something. A second later, he pulled out a y-shaped object. He placed the top of the forked ends in his ears and the other end on Tora's body. He moved it from time to time, nodded every now and then.

"Doctor?"

"His pulse is normal, nothing is twisted, and it looks like nothing is broken. I think he'll be fine, but just to be sure, I'd like to take him back to the office to perform a cat scan. Is that alright?"

"Yes sir, but I need to go with him."

"Good, because there is going to be paperwork. I need one of the legal owners to sign permission forms."

"…"

"Miss?"

"Um, can you keep a secret?…"

Over at the Hokage Tower, Sarutobi was lecturing Kakashi for what seemed like the thirtieth time this month. It seemed quite ridiculous to him. Why should he constantly scold the Jounin for doing his job?

"Anyways Kakashi, you leveled the city, yadda yadda yadda…Should be disappointed… Blah blah blah…Are we really going to go through this again?"

"I tried to lead them away from the village, but they caught on to me. I barely made it back in time to save the daimyo. When I got there, ten of the villagers were already dead, making a total of seventeen casualties, including the two guards on the main floor. I'll admit, I could've planned it better. But still, I got the job done."

"Listen Kakashi, I can't keep protecting you. Shape up, or you're fired. Now leave me, I have a headache."

"My lord."

Kakashi stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Sarutobi sighed heavily. Was it his destiny to torture the old man until the day he died? Sarutobi figured he could only screw up one more time. After that, Kakashi had to either do things right, or lose his job, regardless of how skilled he is. The old man turned around, and sat at his desk.

"You can come out now, Claude. You may be Anbu, but you still have a lot to learn."

Part of the left wall peeled away, showing a boy, about the age of seventeen. He walked over to the desk, and kneeled on the ground. He was a large boy, wide-shouldered, a bit chunky, with his brown hair sticking out beneath his hitai-ate bandanna. His clothes were a deep green, deeper than the normal uniforms. He wore classic samurai gauntlets, and steel plating covered his torso. His kunai pouch hung from his right thigh, and over all of this, he wore a black, open trench coat. Underneath that, a sword, and two daggers could be seen. But only if one was looking for them. While he didn't look too intimidating, he still looked like he could get the job done.

"I may still have much to learn, but I'm still the best at what I do, Sir."

"If only you were a bit more modest Claude, you'd make the perfect soldier. Anyways, how are the kids doing?"

"The Uzumaki boy is with Kurenai currently. The Hyuuga girl is at home caring for a cat."

"When did they get a cat?"

"They apparently found the Fire Daimyo Wife's cat during their scuffle with Kurenai yesterday. They are waiting for it to heal before they return it."

"Okay then. What is your assessment of them?"

"The boy has a massive amount of chakra."

"He is the son of Minato, and he contains the Fox Demon. That is only natural. Proceed with the assessment."

"The girl has a small amount, but seems to be feeding an excessive amount from some unknown source."

"That, I cannot explain. But that will reveal itself in time. Continue."

"The Nara boy has no clue as to what the two of them really are. But the Aburame child knows everything."

"I know. I let him know that he is to assist Naruto's force while hidden. When Naruto figures it out, Shino Aburame is engage him in combat. If Shino loses, he will join the team."

"And if he wins?"

"Then this planet is doomed."

"…"

"Claude, I want you to maintain a constant surveillance on Naruto and his allies. Once a week, you are to engage one of them in single combat. You may start with this week if you wish. But you are to flee if a second approaches, and do not attack the Uzumaki boy. Speak not a word to them. When you feel you have gauged their abilities adequately, I will arrange a public match between you and Naruto. We'll take it from there."

"Yes, my lord."

"Oh, and before you leave, you can claim your new mask over there. I had to apply some extra seals, but it should be adequate enough to take a hit and still remain in place." Sarutobi indicated to a white, round object laying on the table to the left. Claude picked it up, admiring the results of his recent promotion to captain. He placed it upon his face, where it snuggly fit the ridges and creases along his nose and eyes.

With that, Claude shunshined out of the room. Sarutobi sighed, heavy with exhaustion. He was getting too old for these things. He would have to pick a successor soon. He would start looking for one in the next…three years or so. But for now, he had to focus on the issues at hand. If he didn't groom Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru into capable, unstoppable ninjas, then the land of Fire…no…The WORLD was doomed. At least, that is what Gimmy said.

"Will they…CAN they succeed?"

Shikamaru sighed once more. His hands were blistered from gripping the hedge clippers too tight. The client, an old woman with a strange accent, had been nagging him almost as much as his mother did. And every time she said his name, he wanted to stab her with the shears. But nooooo…Kurenai had specifically said not to do that. It wasn't that she said his name wrong, it's just that whenever she said something with an 'r' in it, she rolled her tongue, making the sound repeat itself. It was an incessant, annoying job all together.

When they finally finished, they returned to the Hokage Tower to claim their payment. Iruka handed them the money without saying a word, something Shikamaru was grateful for. They walked out the door, dividing the reward as evenly as they could, with Naruto getting half of the cash, since Hinata didn't participate and he made up for her slack.

When they finished that, Naruto shunshined away, followed by Kurenai, leaving Shikamaru alone. To him, it was a blessing in disguise. How many more opportunities would he get to be alone once they all began to work together like a team should?

As he walked down the street, he thought about what he would spend the rest of the day doing. Most likely go find a quiet place to look up at the sky, as it was his hobby. It was simple, peaceful, and one of his favorite way to relieve stress.

As Shikamaru was approaching the outskirts of the business district, he felt something tingling on the back of his neck. It was one of those sensations that Shikamaru only got when he was about to get decked in the face.

He quickly sidestepped , seeing three kunai enbed themselves in the ground where he had been standing a moment before. Shikamaru didn't even blink at this. His mom could kill him with a glare. Whoever this was, they weren't skilled enough to put Shikamaru on edge…yet. He turned quickly, and his eyes widened.

Standing on the last building on the outskirts, was an ANBU sporting a very distinctive mask. While it was modeled after a normal person's face, it had this eerie glare and smile that said 'I think I'll enjoy watching you die'. Two small horns sprouted above his head, and while they were small, it was an added effect to the sadistic smile that covered half his face. And the teeth, they were sharp, long, and quite menacing, adding in the other effects on the mask. In short, Shikamaru was staring at an oni demon.

Shikamaru had a feeling that he should run, but fear paralyzed him, causing him to trip over his own feet. Shikamaru was truly terrified. Not because of the mask, but what laws UNDER the mask.

A few months ago, Shikamaru's mother had made him study up on ANBU, saying that if he tried, he could easily become one of the best. While he had been reluctant at first, the scrolls loaned to him by the Tower had only solidified his theories and rumors into full blown fear.

According to the scrolls, an ANBU wore a mask with an animal design covering it. Those designs represented the inner personalities of the ones behind the mask, and amped up their chakra capacity by double the starting amount. But there was only one of each mask, and each one contained special seals to prevent others from stealing and using the masks against the village. The seals only responded to a constant flow of chakra from the owner, making outsiders unable to use the mask. In addition, if the wearer aquired any negative intentions towards Konoha, the seals placed them under a sleeping jutsu, and alerted other loyal ANBU to recover their unconscious body. After that…well the scrolls didn't mention an 'After that".

But the other bad part was, certain high ranking ANBU were given special mask, that allowed a stronger chakra amp, as well as other benefit's the user could profit from. But these masks had a special similarity among them…They ALL resembled mythical half-humans. Everything from werewolves, to centaurs, and others, were found among the most elite of the elite. Of course, it was very difficult to attain this rank.

There were five requirements that needed to be filled to become an ANBU captain: 1) Master over fifteen skills, five in each of the three fighting styles: Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu.(This also meant that they had to have an exceedingly LARGE amount of chakra control. Enough to where they could use an A-class jutsu about twenty times in a row without tiring.) 2) Aquire an affinity to three of the five basic elements. 3) Be well versed in stealth and interrogation arts 4) Know how to use a multitude of weapons such as the Wakisashi 5) Complete twenty missions, all ranked between b to S. And of those twenty, five of them had to be assassinations.

Pretty much, an ANBU captain was just a step below Hokage. If you ever met one, they were either in disguise, off duty, or were about to slay your head off before you blinked. Most of the time, it was the latter of the three.

Yeah, so right now, Shikamaru looked like he might piss himself. The fact that the mask was an oni said that something of his personality was VERY BAD.

"_I've got to control myself! Now then, I know what he is capable of, and he most likely knows the same if I am his target. I could try something unpredictable, but he might see through it. I could try to run, but I'd probably be commiting suicide. Hmmm."_

Shikamaru adopted his thinking pose, somehow mustering the ability to move. He concentrated hard on all the possibilities, theories, and courses of action available to him. All of this happened in real time, over the course of a few seconds. Even still, Shikamaru's plans were really just shots in the dark, as he had no hard evidence on his opponent. Just one fact, one weakness to explaoit, and he might be able to do some damage.

Claude was watching Shikamaru intently. Truthfully, he was just toying with the genin, and all he had to do was toss a few kunai and stand there! It was funny seeing his eyes glaze over for a second in defeat, then see them blaze with the passion to survive. Claude almost lost it when Shikamaru went into his thinking stance. The kid thought he stood a chance? Claude knew he could win with each of his limbs tied behind him. But giving the brat a chance to show his mettle might make him actually work from now on.

Plus he wanted to see what a kid with a genius on par with the Hokage could pull off with no intel on his opponents. Most ninjas had to work under such conditions anyways. Call it…preparation for an inevitable future.

Shikamaru stood up, and Claude thought he could sense an air of confidence about the kid.

"_I can't wait to see what this kid throws at me! Who knows, he might even defeat me by making me pass out from too much laughing!"_

Claude stood up, and jumped from his place atop the building. He landed not twenty feet away from Shikamaru. He recalled what Sarutobi said about being silent, and quickly calmed the fit of laughter tugging at the back of his throat. Claude had to at least TRY to focus.

With that, Shikamaru began the assault.

"Umm, Aniki, what are you doing back there?"

When Naruto got home, he found Kamina, Gimmy, and Darry at their new apartment, helping with the cat, and waiting for Naruto about some new intel they got. It was right then that Kamina, now known as 'Aniki' to Naruto and Hinata, had decided that Naruto needed a special something to add a bit of zest to his physical appearance. While clothes did make the man, it was the way he wore them, walked in them, and acted with tham that defined who the man truly was.

That being said, Kamina was giving Naruto a tatoo. It would share a tribal pattern similar to Kamina's, but it would show the Konoha village symbol instead of a flame on his back. Naruto was representing his planet now, so why not do it in style, with everyone you know and trust having your back. It was a simple win/win kinda thing, Naruto looked cooler, and got a confidence boost.

Kamina, having done his own tatoo, was the only one in the room able to get every detail the way it to be. Besides, it felt like a good way to bond with his new 'soul brother'. As for Hinata, Kamina was teaching Darry to perform tatoo art every few days. She would want one too when Naruto got his. Why not be prepared for it? And it wasn't like Kamina could do it to his sister, as he would have to go under the shirt to apply the tatoo. NO, he was not crossing that wide, detailed line.

"Naruto my brother, by the end of this, you will be a stronger man for it. I personally guarantee this!"

Gimmy decided that Naruto could still listen while getting drawn on, and began to give his report.

"Our good friend Viral was willing to divulge some info about recent Anti-spiral activities. Thanks to this, we now have a good estimate of how long we've got to train you two into full fledged spiral warriors."

"_So long as I don't have to use the M.I.L.F, I have no qualms about training,"_ Naruto thought to himself.

"We have an estimated four months until the first wave arrives. Once they get here, we'll be too busy to train. As soon as we defeat one, the second wave will make an appearance, than a third, and so forth until we all die, or manage to defeat their commander of that particular fleet. They developed this trick to tire us. At that point, we'll be wiped out of existence. Our best chance is Naruto's massive reservoir of spiral energy, or chakra."

Everyone except Kamina nodded in unison, he was too busy with the design to nod and mess up the permanent artwork. He was almost done with the tribal pattern around the Konoha symbol. After that, Naruto just had to go without a shirt for a few days. This was something he had a feeling Hinata might enjoy. That seemed like the kind of girl she was anyway.

"We also have other possibilities to consider, such as defects in the gunmen. Hinata, yours is fresh off the line, so it will be closely inspected during training. And if Naruto will be recruiting more to join him, than we will have to order other gunmen too. Yes, these next four months will be hell for everyone."

Hinata had been taking all of this in silence. Now she spoke up her concerns.

"Gimmy-san, what can you tell us about the Anti-spirals? If we know what we're up against, we'll stand a better chance."

"Well Hinata, it's hard to explain as most of the bastards are silent to the bone. The ones that DO talk only brag about themselves while belittling us. Tactic-wise, they just rush us like Choji towards a free buffet. Mentally, they're unstable as shit."

Naruto sighed, as it sounded so much like the one person he hated with all of his heart: Sasuke Uchiha.

"I guess I should mention that we had an entire clan like that until a week ago. What a pain in the ass they'd been. And at that time, there was only about a hundred and fifty of the bastards. If I understand you right, you're saying we will be fighting the equivalent of a few thousand Uchiha's, minus the Sharingan?"

"I guess. I have no idea what a sharin-whatever is, so you lost me there. But expect legions, platoons, scouts…We're not talking thousands, we're talking in the tens of thousands. So again, our best strategy is to remove the commander. Everyone here knows how an ant community works, right? The queen ant cannot live without her workers. The same can be said for those workers. A simple 'Give and Take' relationship. By applying this tactic to the Anti-Spirals, we can effectively and quickly crush their forces. We can capture any stragglers from the fleeing party, and torture them to reveal secrets about the next advance and such."

"I can see how that might work, but I can see some holes in there. What if they anticipate this plan, and heavily fortify the commander? What if they leave him open as a decoy to trap us? We can't forget about these things. Doing that has killed many ninja. We can't underestimate our foes, less we forfeit our lives, and those of the universe."

Everyone looked at Naruto with an understanding of what he was saying. If they overestimated their foes, that was one thing. But to underestimate them was a deadly mistake.

"D-Damn Naruto, h-how long h-have you been a tac…tactician?"

Everyone turned towards the door, where the voice came from. Shikamaru was standing there, clutching his limp arm, breathing in shorts gasps. Everyone dropped what they were doing to help him. Hinata shunshined him to the hospital, for immediate treatment. Naruto got everyone else there a second later, using his shunshin. Everyone filed into the viewing room, silently sending out prayers for Shikamaru, or simply rooting him on directly to fight it off. Shikamaru turned his head to Naruto, and coughed up a bit of blood. When he regained control over his mouth, he began to mouth the words to Naruto.

_When I get better, you and I should have a shogi match._

Naruto nodded, wishing he could help his new friend. All he could do was heal some of the minor wounds Shikamaru had.

"_But that healing could make all the difference Master Naruto!"_

Good point. Naruto dashed through the doors of the prep room, and entered the ER, much to the dismay of the doctors. Without waiting for a cue, he went straight to work.

"By the Divines, I shall treat friend and foe alike when they begin to suffer. My healing hands hold no grudge, no hate, and no hesitation to protect those around me. With my power, I shall prevail! Karu No Howaito! WHITE LIGHT!"

A bright light erupted from Naruto's outstretched hands covering Shikamaru in a white silk. Shikamaru felt the pain residing gradually from his shallow wounds. The deep ones still stung like a bitch, but they were now bearable. It was as if Naruto had infused his own life force into Shikamaru, granting him the ability to regenerate. If they didn't know it was Nina's ability, everyone around would've thought he was a medic ninja.

"N-Naruto…Th-thanks."

Naruto, also drained from the experience of using the healing skill the first time, only nodded. As he developed the technique to suite him, Naruto would only improve his over all chakra consumage to half easily. But for now, he was drained as shit. Naruto limped out of the room, leaning on Hinata's shoulder all the while. She liked having him close to her. It was like she was marking him as hers. Not that she ever had to. When they made It back to the waiting room, there were a flurry of questions for Naruto.

"How did you do that?"

"Can you teach me Naruto?"

"How tiring was that?"

"Can I go out with Hinata?"

At that one, Naruto turned to see who would DARE to try making a move on his girl. It was just a simple villager, but Naruto released a bit of KI towards the guy. It was a signal to back off, something the guy instantly recognized. Naruto was the alpha male, and NO ONE fucked with the alpha male. No one saw that guy around Hinata ever again.

Once the clamor had died down, Kamina began to finish Naruto's tatoo. Only the right arm had to be finished. It would only take about five minutes, and Naruto barely felt anything. But he would have to sleep on his stomach for a while, ink and all that.

"Aniki, can you tell me about Simon?"

Kamina stopped drawing then, and sighed a heavy, tired sigh. He knew Naruto would ask soon, but not that soon.

"Simon was the first family I ever had. He was my blood brother before I ever even left that damnable village and their ass of a chief! Until I met Yoko, he was the only person I ever put my trust in. Hehe, we had some crazy times together. When we got Gurren and Lagann, we began to meet all kinds of people. It was fun, until that bastard Viral and that ape guy cheap shot me. Next thing I know, I'm in Konoha. Crazy times man, crazy times."

"Let me guess, you really liked this Yoko, huh?"

"Wha-…How did you figure that out so quickly?"

"Your tone when you said her name, and the way you described her. Dead givaways too. But no big deal, I mean I have Hinata, so you must've had someone. Everyone does. Some of us just never figure that out until it's too late."

"Brother, you gotta start teachin' me how you do these things."

"Don't you miss her? Yoko?"

"…Big time. But I've been dead for about ten years from what Gimmy said. When we first met, we were the same age, but now she is at least twenty-five. I'm only sixteen."

There came a knock at the door, and in strolled Darry. She sat down, looking at the two of them with respect, but a bit of pity for Kamina.

"Heh, now would probably be a bad time to mention that she is coming to Konoha, wouldn't it?"

*Author's note*

Sorry about the delay, but I was being tied up with internet issues, and tests to take. School is such a pain in the ass, but it helps me post stories. Pray they don't block this site in the browser.


	16. Chapter 16

**THE UZUMAKI BRIGADE**

"…What?" That was all Kamina was able to say.

"Yup," said Darry with a mischievous grin. "The one and only Yoko is coming to Konoha, as we speak. She will be here in about three days, tops."

"But surely you didn't…"

"What? Tell her you were alive? No, she wouldn't come to see that. She'd dismiss that as some cruel cosmic joke. She thinks that she is going to train Hinata to be a markswoman."

"And we are supposed to just drop this in on her?" Naruto interjected.

"No, Hinata has already made a plan for when she arrives. Kamina is to stay at the Hokage tower until Hinata can gain Yoko's trust. She will then fake the Ressurection jutsu, while Kamina is inside the box. Naruto will push it up out of the ground, like the jutsu does, and Kamina just has to act like he's lost and confused. Yoko will take over from there."

"Good plan, but what if Yoko already has a lover?"

"Not gonna happen Kamina. After you, she never got the courage to try dating someone. Although, right before he died, Kittan did smooch on her, a little parting gift to remember his sacrifice to save Nia."

"K-K-K-Kittan!" Kamina cried out.

"Still, she only ever held anything for you. I think she'd be fine with dating you as a teen."

"And I thought Shikamaru was the smart one." Naruto muttered.

"Oh Naruto, you need to head on home. You have way too much work to do. Staying in a hospital will only prove a hindrance."

"…I'm not leaving until I know Shikamaru pulled through. You guys would do the same for each other. Besides, I need to know who to hunt down. NO ONE can hurt my friends!"

'Fine, but don't go racing off half-cocked. That'll get you killed way too fast."

"Agreed. For now, I'll just go find Hinata. We have some things to discuss."

With that, he dashed off to find his beloved. She was outside, staring at the starry night.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Hinata turned to see Naruto staring at her. He looked fatigued, but otherwise fine. She cuddled close to him, wanting him to never leave his side.

"What a world we live in, huh Naruto?"

"…"

"Just out of the academy, and we've already made enemies. Not only with someone powerful from Konoha, but with an entire alien race across the universe."

"I know that it's pointless to say it, but we need to stay strong. When Shikamaru feels better, I intend to find out who did this to him. I'll punish them, then we'll stop the invasion. But let's not think of those things now…"

"I'm guessing you had a few things to tell me?"

Naruto nodded. While Naruto couldn't down right tell her they were to be married, he could drop a hint and she'd get it soon enough.

"When I first talked with Hiashi, we made a deal. There was a special arrangement."

"Oh?"

"For one, I'll become leader of the Hyuuga clan."

"I see where this is going…SQUEEE!"

Hinata glomped Naruto so tightly, he couldn't breathe for a moment. She began to aggressively kiss him all over.

"WE'RE GOING TO BE MARRIED!"

Naruto found he could barely contain the excitement himself. Why would he? He was to marry the most awesome of girls this side of the universe. THAT, was really saying something. Hinata was one of the best things to happen to him

"Father is already planning the event for next month. It will truly be a day to remember."

"D-Did you just call him 'Father'?"

"Heh, I had been for a few days, but I never said it aloud, not without revealing the secret."

"Oh Naruto, this is the start of a most beautiful life together."

"We wish for nothing but the best, you two."

Naruto and Hinata turned to see everyone gathered at the doors. Kurenai, Gimmy, Darry, Kamina, Shikamaru, even Old Man Sarutobi (But that was just because he wanted to see how much damage Claude did.).

"_No privacy."_

'_But it is interesting to always have them around.'_

"_Shut it Ryu." **Ryu Owned Count:5**_

'Uh, thanks everyone that was listening to a PRIVATE conversation."

"Don't be such a stick in the mud Naruto," said Kamina.

"Hey, I had a great idea!" At this comment, everyone turned to Hinata. "We can hold a multi-wedding. I know of two couples that will want in on this."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Hehehe, Aniki and Yoko for one."

At this, Kamina blushed and turned away from the crowd, now beginning to laugh. But he had to admit, he kinda liked that idea…if Yoko was up to it. This was Hinata's best idea so farQ

"And the other couple is standing before us. Right, Gimmy and Darry?"

Now it was their turn to hide their faces. But they didn't deny it. Them holding hands was just proof of that. Then an idea hit Naruto like a genius truck.

I've got it! We can also get Simon and Nia in on this!"

This got everyone's attention, especially Kamina's.

"All of my little siblings, getting married at the same time as me? Am I back in Heaven?"

Darry was the first to bust everyone's bubble.

"But Simon is on Earth, his location unknown to everyone."

"I thought about that too. Hinata, don't we have a dog friend that has a REALLY good nose?"

"Kiba? But he wouldn't…Would he?"

"Under the circumstances, he'd have no choice to. And reviving Nia should be no problem. We already did it with Darry and Kamina."

This got Sarutobi's attention. Naruto had forgotten to mention learning that technique from the scroll. Now he broke the cheers.

"Naruto Hyuuga Uzumaki! Have you been using that most forbidden of jutsus? Do you have any idea what they do to the caster?"

This broke everyone out of their celebration.

"That jutsu turns the caster evil! One use, you get miffed easily, Two, you gain dark thoughts. Three, and your anger spikes. Four, you begin to go mad. Five…and you'll kill everyone you hold dear."

"…Gramps, I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Hinata too. Only once had our anger gotten to us. And Mizuki deserved it."

The small group began to murmur in agreement. Sarutobi continued to press the issue.

"Naruto, please heed my advice. Stage two is when hell begins to grap you by the ass, and drag you into it's fiery depths. I don't want to see any of you suffer. Please don't use the forbidden skill."

With that, Sarutobi walked off to talk with Claude about his spying game. Many changes were to happen, as very little time was presented to them. Even then, the allotted time wasn't a certainty. Naruto would have four months to increase his abilities to that of an ANBU captain, at least TWENTY times his current levels. And he'd really have to raise his chakra control, the weakest part of his skills…Wait! The ANBU chakra exercises would rocket up his talent! GENIUS!

"Naruto, do you know the full extent of the clones?"

"What, to increase the learning rate? Yeah, why?"

"I want you to send a shadow clone to each of these places," Sarutobi handed him a piece of paper with four locations marked. "The fifth will come when you've gained enough skill."

"Gotcha, Boss Man! Oh, can our new friends become ninja? I think they might find it quite useful."

"…Fine, but they train with Konohamoru and Ebisu. No complainst, no excuses."

The Hokage finally managed to get away from the group, and shunshined back to the tower.

"Naruto, why should we learn to be ninjas? We're good gunmen users already."

"Gimmy, can you trust me on this one? I just have an ominous feeling, and I think we'll all benefit from this."

"Well, you ARE the leader. I'll give it a shot!"

"Thanks Gimmy. Now then, lets all return home. We all have a LONG four months of training. Sleep is the best way to get started. Good night everyone."

Each group returned to their respective lodgings, curious as to what the next day might hold.

"Hokage-sama, I've taken every precaution available to prevent any ressurections. There is no way to use it without alerting the town chunin, so I can safely say that Naruto will not bring back any girl named Nia."

"Claude, I don't really care about the girl being brought back to life. I don't want Naruto or Hinata to turn evil. If they were to execute five revives, then all Hell would be upon this world once more."

"What do you mean Sire?"

"I wasn't entirely telling the truth when I said they'd kill everyone close to them. What will really happen is that an evil incarnate version of them will release itself from their minds, then cause destruction all across Konoha. The only way to defeat them would be to destroy each other. That would mean making an evil Naruto kill an evil Hinata, and vice versa, at the same time. Not easy."

"…"

"Listen, go find Kakashi, bring him here, and tell him the situation, we need all the help we can get. We are going to exhaust every resource available to us to protect this planet. Contact the Village Hidden in the Sand, tell them to send out their best ninja. I will pay any and all expenses later. Locate Tsunade, find Jiraiya, contact any of the Seven Swordsmen we can get a hold of. I'm putting you in charge of these operations. I will school Naruto myself to protect this world."

"I've been wondering…Why him? He's just a genin, fresh from the academy. There are FAR better ninja for the job."

"Claude, I will tell you this now. I feel you've earned the right to know this…Both you and Naruto share the same father. Claude, you are the eldest son of Minato, and Naruto is your younger brother."

Naruto awoke to find Hinata in his bed again, but this time he wasn't worried. They were going to be married in one month's time. They'd share a bed soon anyway.

Naruto walked into the bathroom, and found he had fangs! They weren't fake, and they made him bleed when poked. There was only one way this could've happened…

"_RYUUUUUUUUUUUU!"_

'_I swear by my demonic prowess that I didn't do anything!'_

"_Kinda cute really."_

"_**Whatever."**_

"_I SWEAR UPON MY GRAVE RYU! IF YOU DID THIS TO ME I WILL UTTERLY DESTROY YOU!"_

"Hnnn…Naruto-kun?"

Naruto quickly realized that he'd begun to think out loud. Anger tend to do that to a person…Anger…Stage One. Great.

"Sorry Hinata. I noticed something in the mirror, and I got upset at Ryu for it. Look, I got fangs now."

"…That's kind of cute."

"R-Really?"

"If only you had a tail. That'd be so cute!"

"…I wonder…"

'_I you're thinking about getting a tail, you'd better start apologizing!"_

"_Fine…Ryu, I'm sorry for getting upset with you."_

'…_Good enough. Also, I was involved in the fangs, but not consciously. It must be a side effect of the contract we made.'_

"_Can you speed up the process, or directly add the tail?"_

'_Want to find out?'_

Without a warning, Naruto fell to the ground in unbearable pain. He began to writhe about, each shaky breath more painful than the last. He heard the tear of fabric, and then a 'pop'. As soon as it had begun, the pain ceased.

Naruto looked up, seeing Hinata kneeling beside him. The concern on her face was evident, as was the shock. It didn't take a detective to figure this one out.

Behind Naruto, was a red, long, curly tail. It seemed to respond to command, and Naruto suddenly thought of how useful this could be in battle.

Then, as if on cue, Hinata pounced on him. She started by hitting Naruto, saying stuff about making her worry. After that was over though, she began to play with his tail. She was like a little girl with her first teddy bear. She didn't want to let it go.

"It's so cute! So soft, fluffy, and beautiful! I wish I had one!"

"Well, lets hope it was worth the five years of agonizing pain."

'_Sorry, I wasn't sure how to proceed. I was trying something out, and I got some good results. Next time, I'll wait until you're asleep, then you won't feel any pain.'_

"…_Ryu, I'm going to get you a treat today…A BIG one!"_

Kamina was having the nicest of dreams. He dreamt of seeing Yoko's beautiful face once more, and all the things they could do now that they were together again. It was such an amazing dream, until Yoko began to scream in agony. She had sounded like Naruto, and that had scared Kamina awake, only to find the screaming real.

It took Kamina only three seconds to find a pair of pants and dash out to Naruto's room. When he arrived, he simply busted the door down, fearing the worse, and that Naruto may die if Kamina wasn't quick enough.

He unsheathed his sword, ready for a fight. Only to see his soul siblings on the floor wrestling. But it was what was different about Naruto that got Kamina. A TAIL! What a brother he had!

Gimmy and Darry came in a second later, each with a spiral pistol in their hands. Then they saw the tail. Darry squealed, and dashed over to begin petting the now uncomfortable blonde. Gimmy groaned, and began to scratch the back of his head.

"Hey Aniki, a little help here?"

Kamina sighed, and walked over to pull Darry off of Naruto. He nearly took an elbow to the face. Then Gimmy got in and pulled her off. It was definitely a weird morning for everyone.

"Naruto, why do you have a tail?"

"…Would you believe me if I said it was for her?"

He indicated Hinata, who was still stroking the tail. Then Tora came up, layed on her lap, and began to play with the tail. At this, Naruto finally moved the tail away, feeling a little too uncomfortable with his fiancée AND a cat toying with it. Both of them whined, but then Hinata began to pet the cat, which was looking to be in pain, but able to move.

"_This is going to be a LOOOOOONG week."_

'_Well at least you're better for this. I'll explain the details later. I think you'll find this tail to be MORE than just a decoration.'_

"Naruto, this is ridiculous. A TAIL? You might as well inform the whole town of your condition!"

"They already know. They've known ever since Ryu was sealed inside me. But I don't care. The Hyuuga Clan has accepted me, Gramps accepts me, and everyone here, including Hinata, accepts me. I don't care what the town says about me. If they can't accept the demon in me, they they are of no consequence. I will protect them, all of them. Even if they hate me. I know what's important to me."

"…Naruto-kun."

"Haha! Well spoken brother!"

"*Sigh* I can't believe we're leaving this planet's fate to this kid. But at least it should be an interesting run."

"Give him a break Gimmy. Have some faith."

Gimmy walked out of the room, with Darry a few seconds behind. Kamina helped the two genin up, and patted Naruto on the back. When he left, Naruto and Hinata suddenly realized that they didn't have a door now.

"Crap! I don't know how we manage to break something every day. I'll go downstairs and see if the landlord is willing to get us another door."

As he walked down the stairs, Naruto passed no one. Surely there were other people here? No one slept late here. Even if they did, they'd have woken up when Naruto cried out in pain earlier. He checked the entire building, but found not a single soul. It was as if they'd vanished.

"Where is everyone?"

Naruto turned around to find Hinata and Kamina at the stairs. He walked over to them, and they began to theorize what happened.

"A jutsu maybe?"

"No, to subtle. It would take a master to do this. I think they just went somewhere."

"But where?"

"Maybe a village meeting?"

"Good thinking Hinata. It's worth a look."

Kamina rushed back to the room to inform Gimmy and Darry that they were leaving. When he got back with the two outsiders close in tow, they all left in search of the meeting place. It was always at the base of the Hokage Tower, as there was a large clearing around it. When they arrived, a large crowd confirmed it. Naruto and Hinata managed to get Kamina and the group on to a rooftop to get a good view.

"-been too hard on Naruto. When the Fox Crisis ended, I made a law saying to remain silent about who Naruto really was. He discovered it anyway, but has harbored no hatred towards us. But none of you know what really happened on that dreadful day, do you? None of you know how the Fox Demon ended up in Naruto. All of you shunned him, despised him, and rejected him for what he held inside him. Now, I've decided it is time for everyone to know the full story. Naruto, would you please come over here?"

Sarutobi looked at Naruto, who was not surprised to be found so easily. He shunshined over to Sarutobi, who placed his hand on his shoulder and continued his speech.

"Everyone, the Fourth Hokage sealed the Fox Demon inside Naruto. He did this at the cost of his life. But what no one here knows is that Minato sealed the Demon into his own newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Everyone in town, except Naruto and Hinata, was completely dumbfounded. It was like a ghost town for a minute, silent and creepy. They spent the next five minutes processing this info. Then Kamina spoke up.

"WOOOOOOO! YEAH NARUTO! NOW WHAT YOU DAMN UNGRATEFUL BASTARDS? I BET YOU ALL FEEL _REAL_ STUPID, HUH?"

When they finally processed this info, most of the townsfolk began to hang their heads in shame. How could they repent for this? They had shunned him, even though he was the hero of Konoha. He was also the SON of the hero of Konoha.

'_Wow, what an ungrateful village. Try to do something nice for your town and son, and everyone just hates on the kid. I must be a terrible father.'_

"_No you aren't Minato. Everyone just took it the wrong way. After this, everyone will be better to him."_

'_I hope you're right missy.'_

"Naruto Hyuuga Uzumaki," Sarutobi began to whisper to him. "I will personally oversee your wedding. All of the village will be in attendance, not just the Hyuuga Clan. But listen, don't perform the resurrection jutsu. I will see to it that this 'Nia' is brought back."

"…Gramps. Why are you doing this?"

"If I tried to explain all of it, you wouldn't understand. Let's leave it at 'I like to think of you as my son.'"

Kamina finally calmed down some, and a few of the villagers have come to terms with what was said. They even began to cheer Naruto's name aloud. This in turn, caused others to cheer him, until all of Konoha was filled with the joyous cries towards Naruto. He felt tears well up in his eyes, but only a little.

"It fine to show your emotions Naruto. That is what make you a human."

"Gramps…thanks."

"But don't think you are going to get off so easily. You will be spend these next four months going through a Hell FAR worse than you could ever imagine."

"*Sniff*…I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Hahahahahahaha! This is going to be an interesting day!"

"…Good for you, Naruto-kun."

"So my new disciple is the son of our town's savior. What do you know?"

Kurenai was leaning against the wall at the back of the crowd. She was surprised to hear this declaration, so early in the boy's life. And that he was the Fourth's SON?

"I can't wait to see what he does in the future."

Hinata was very content. Her fiancé was getting the recognition he deserved,`every one of her friends was getting married, and Tora was looking good today. She'd sent out a clone to assist in a chore (D-ranked mission) with the team, so she had a pretty free day.

All she really did was a bit of dusting, some shopping, talking with neighbors about the meeting. After all of that, she decided a nap would help pass the time, but found she couldn't sleep. She decided to get a head start in the plan involving Yoko.

"Darry-san, are you home?"

"Hinata, what are you doing here?"

"I thought maybe we could chat. You know, girl to girl."

"…Gimmy, Kamina…Out of the room."

Darry shoved the two boys out into the hall, leaving them to wonder what that was all about. They pressed their ears to the door, only to have Darry open it on them, and cause them to fall to the ground, a guilty look on their faces.

"Boys, me and Hinata are trying to have a girl talk. Go do something productive, like train Naruto to use Lagann."

"Can we get a Hinata clone to train in Gurren?"

"…"

Darry closed the door on them, leaving the boys confused. They heard some mumbling inside, then a 'poof'. Then Hinata opened the door. A confident, aggressive look plain as day on her face.

"Let's go boys! I'm ready to get started!"

The sudden mood change confused Gimmy and Kamina, but they liked it. They could get used to this side of her.

"This…Is…So…BORING!"

Shikamaru was confined to his bed by all the stiching and surgery performed. He couldn't move his arms or legs at all. And every time someone walked in, they'd make some smartass comment about him being so troublesome. If he heard them use his line one more time, Shikamaru would force his body out the window and commit suicide.

"Damn, someone did a number on you."

Shikamaru turned his head to look at the newcomer. It caused him so much pain.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Easy bro, I just came to see how you were. The name's Claude, Claude Haschel. I'm a friend of Naruto's."

"You aren't about to use my line are you?"

"…No?"

"Fine then."

"Look, I just came by to see how you're holding up. I know from personal experience that this place can drive a man insane. So I'm going to do you a personal favor."

"Yeah? What?"

"Naruto told me you like to look at clouds, so I thought you might want to head on up to the roof."

"Heh, I guess that's fine. It beats this lame-ass room."

Claude wheeled Shikamaru's bed out to the elevator, and hit the button for the roof. After a minute of silence, Claude finally spoke up.

"So uh, how'd you wind up in the place?"

"Some douche ANBU fucked me up with some strange Kekei-Genkai. The fight only lasted ten seconds. I'm surprised I lived through a brutal onslaught like that."

"Why would an ANBU attack you? Did you break a Konoha sacred rule?"

"No. Which confuses me. I'm too lazy to do something like that, and too smart to know not to do it. I'm fresh out the academy, so I'm not much of a threat to anyone."

"How'd he fight?"

"Well, I didn't learn much in the ten years of beat down I got. All I managed to learn was that he was an ANBU captain, and he REALLY loves his swords."

"You know, I'm a friend with an ANBU. I can see what he can tell me about that captain."

"Hehe, thanks. I just hope he doesn't attack Naruto or Hinata."

"If you want, I can tell them any info I find?"

"That sounds good. Here's the address."

Claude turned away from Shikamaru to let that sneer of his escape. Everything was going just right…

Located galaxies away from the village of Konoha, on a little planet called 'Earth', Yoko was receiving a letter from Viral's personal courier about a final mission. How had that beastman found her little house tucked away on that island? She guessed being immortal had its benefits.

"Hmmm…Gimmy and Darry…Training a markswoman…May finally end the war?"

The letter simply said that Yoko was to travel to some backwater planet far away, train a little firl to be a Gurren pilot, and assist all other operatives in ending the war. It sounded a little farfetched to her, but so had the space travel thing all those years ago. She figured it was worth a shot, and began to pack some belongings. As she set the paper down, she noticed a note at the bottom.

"Hm? What's this?…'P.S: May find an old friend on this planet?'"

That was curious. What could Viral be talking about? An old friend? Simon maybe?

"That old dog found me? Viral really needs to stop tracking me, eh Bouta?"

"Bu-whe," said the small mole with black shades on.

"Let's see…Kid named Naruto…Ending the war…Nia involved…Free tickets to-… NIA INVOLVED? What could she have to do with this?"

"Whe?"

"Bouta, I think it's time to step back in the saddle…Hey what's this."

The man in his prime pulled out a small metal card, which began to shimmer.

"A recorded message from Viral eh?"

"_Hello old friend, it's been a long time…Too long. Anyways, I have a final mission for you. We need to finish this war, and fast. As you've read in the letter, there is a boy named Naruto on a distant planet. Him, Gimmy, and Darry are preparing for the Anti-Spirals. It seems those glorified bastards intend to end it all in one fell swoop. Naruto is already set up for your arrival, so please make haste. We have a small window of opportunity to finish this, and we can't afford to waste it. Enclosed is a ticket to the Arc-Gurren's first class flight. At the lift point, you will meet up with an old friend. Good thing you two are sitting next to each other, as I assume you both will want to catch up. I will meet you at the dop zone, so we can all finish what we started together. Until then, safe travels…Simon. Viral out."_

"Heh, he always was a stick in the mud. Still, I'm kinda excited to see how this turns out. It's finally time for 'Simon the Digger' to step out of the shadows, and become 'Simon of Team Dai-Gurren" once more!"


	17. Chapter 17

**THE UZUMAKI BRIGADE**

"…Arc-Gurren. Its been a long time, hasn't it Boota?"

Standing in line, ticket in hand, Simon was thinking back to the glory days with Yoko, Viral, Kittan, and all the other bold characters he fought alongside.

"*Sigh* How many did we lose that day Boota?"

"Thinking back on it, we lost about twelve of our closest friends."

"Holy crap! Boota! You can talk!"

"Bhu?" squeaked the little pig-mole.

"No, you idiot!" Simon was slapped hard on the back of the head. "It's me!"

Simon turned around to find a large pair of barely clad breasts staring him in the face. There was only one person Simon knew of that was like that…

"Yoko! Wow, it's been a long time! How are you?"

"*sigh* Simon, you are so clueless! Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother."

"Hehe, yeah I tend to make people wonder. But it's good to see you again."

"Likewise. So let me guess, you are going to a distant planet to train a kid to use Lagann?"

"Yup! You going to do the same, but for Gurren?"

"No, markswoman training."

"Ah, then I guess Viral will be training the Gurren pilot."

"Is he joining us.?"

"He intends to meet us there."

"Oh…"

"…Remember the last time we didn't see each other for a while?"

"Yeah. That was when everything changed."

"Hehe. I still remember the first thing you said when I saw you. 'So I don't see you for a while, and you have to go and turn into a real boring bitch…Nia.'"

"Hehe. Word for word. I'm amazed you remember that day."

"Well, call me someone who lives in the past."

"Heh, let's get on the ship, before they leave us behind and we piss Viral off. We can catch up more once we settle in."

"Right."

I.I.I

"With more passion Hinata! Show me that fighting spirit!"

Back in Konoha, Kamina was showing Hinata how to work Gurren. Making her go through strenuous workouts operating the large gunman.

"Now weave left! Your OTHER left! Now punch! Kick! Good, twice more! Then you can take a break."

"*Huff huff* Kamina-san, how do you manage to do it?"

"Like I said, fighting spirit! Any problem can be solved with a bit of spirit!"

Five minutes later, Hinata found herself on the ground, leaning against a large tree. As she rested, letting her breath return, Naruto walked up, carrying a tray of snacks and drinks.

"Hey, how you holding up?"

"*Huff* Tired."

"I don't blame you. Here, it's my secret energy drink."

"It looks like cranberry juice."

"It is, but it has one special ingredient."

"And that is?"

"My little secret."

"Aw c'mon?"

"Nope."

"Awww!"

All Naruto really did was crush a soldier pill and mix it in to the juice. It sped up chakra recovery, while providing nutrients to growth. A win/win.

"Hehehehe! Naruto, quit tickling me with your tail!"

"What? You mean like this?"

Naruto began to rub a spot along Hinata's back that seemed to send her into a fit of giggles. It had the desired effect immediately.

"N-Naruto-kun! Quit it! That tickles!"

"Hehehe!"

I.I.I

Kamina watched as the two genin sat under the tree talking. He wished so desperately to have that again…A girlfriend, not the talking part under a tree.

"_Just a few more days, and I can get Yoko back! I can't wait to see the look on her face…her beautiful, beautiful face."_

"Kamina! Hey Kamina! Snap out of it!"

"Hm? Oh, sorry Gimmy. Just thinking."

"That's rare."

"Hey!"

"Kidding, kidding!"

"Hmph! What do you want Gimmy?"

"We need you to head down to the hospital, and keep Shikamaru company."

"Why me? I need to train Hinata!"

"Dude, you had Gurren maybe a month before General Thymilph speared you to death. Darry has used Gurren for three years now. She can handle the training."

"But-"

"No buts! Besides, you might be able to find out something about his attacker if you go. Do it for Naruto."

"…Fine! But I won't like it."

Kamina sulked away, grumbling about unfairness and that Gurren was his originally.

I.I.I

"Poor Aniki. He can't catch a break."

"Not true Hinata. In two days, Kamina is going to get back the love of his life, and his old brother."

"His brother?"

"Oh, right. You didn't hear Gimmy say it. Anyways, along with Yoko, Simon is going to be joining us."

"Simon? You mean the original Lagann pilot?"

"The very same."

"So that means…"

"Most of the original Dai-Gurren team will be joining Sector Seven."

"…Do you really intend to use that as the team name?"

"It's a work in progress."

I.I.I

"Filthy human scum! If only I wasn't bound to that waste of flesh, I'd tear his damn head off!"

"Oh calm down Ryu. Getting worked up over it won't do you any good."

On the other side of the clearing, Ryu and Minato were sun bathing on a pile of rocks. But Ryu, being the demon that he was, just couldn't relax in the presence of weaker beings, namely Naruto and Hinata.

"How can you be so calm Minato? Doesn't it digust you to see those weak-minded kids?"

"Hey!," Minato snapped opening one eye. "I'll have you know that one of them is my son, and the other is his fiancée! That girl ALSO happens to be my master! If you bad mouth them, you'd better be prepared to fight it out!"

"I wasn't referring to them!" Ryu said suddenly, a hint of fear in his voice. "I was talking about…uh…those two over there!"

"Gimmy and Darry? Those are his friends!"

"Did I say them? I meant-"

"STOP…right there. Before you dig a bigger hole for yourself. Just shut up and enjoy the sun."

I.I.I

Back on Earth, aboard the Arc-Gurren, Simon and Yoko were just settling in. They were about to take their seats when…

"YAAAAHHHH!"

"What is it Simon?"

"It's…It's…"

As he stuttered, Simon pointed to the small figure at the seat next to his.

"Now now Simon. You should know better than to make such a ruckus. Do I have to hold you down myself?"

"L-L-L-Lee…ron!"

Sitting at the window, was a small, feminine guy wearing too ,uch makeup and staring at Simon like he wanted to make out with him. It was a disgusting sight really. The guy oozed pedophilia.

"Leeron!"

"Yoko sweetie! You're looking as young and kicking as you did three years ago!"

"You too! How've you been?"

"…Rossiu has been keeping me busy designing new gunmen for the war. I haven't had a good night's sleep for the past ten years now."

"You mean you slept good when Lord Genome controlled the world, but not when Simon or Rossiu did?"

"…I can't explain things!…Simon, I will hold you down if I have to." The half-male said in a threateningly sweet tone.

""I-I-I-I-I w-wonder if i-its t-too late t-to g-get off?" Simon stuttered.

"Simon, just sit next to the guy. It's not like he's gonna rape you."

"You mean like he tried to when I was a kid?" Simon asked, bad, suppressed memories resurfacing.

"That's water under the bridge. I won't try to rape you."

_But maybe a kiss wouldn't hurt. _ Leeron thought to himself with a twinkle in his eye.

"I know that look! Yoko, you take that seat! I wan't to be as far away from him as possible!"

"…Fine." Yoko said with a huff. "Honestly, I don't know what it is about boys and their fears of gay men. If it was two women, you'd be all oer it."

"No I wouldn't! Nia was the only girl for me!"

"Least you can say he was loyal," Leeron whispered into Yoko's ear.

"Damn. I KNEW I should've brought Kamina's sword with me."

"It wouldn't have done you any good sweetie. The planet we're going to is filled with ninjas."

"What's a ninja?"

"They're like a type of person that can use Spiral Energy to help them fight without a gunman. Most are really quick and strong, and would cut you in two before you unsheathed the sword, baby."

"Can you stop calling me that? I'm twenty years old, give me some credit."

"*sigh* Boys and their titles."

I.I.I

Within a small spacecraft flying towards Naruto's planet, Viral was thinking about what Gimmy told him over the Long Range Comm link, or the LRC as they preferred.

I.I.I

"_Lagann X reporting. Code: Zero, Zero, Alpha, input!"_

It had been two weeks since hearing from his old ally. By that time, Viral had assumed they were dead. So when Gimmy's face appeared on Viral's private comm link, he thought it was an Anti-Spiral hacking the system. It wasn't until Gimmy said Viral's encoded password that the Spiral HQ leader believed it was the one and only.

"Confirmed. Good to know you're still alive Gimmy."

"_Got lucky is all. If not for the fact that I landed on a planet where the natives can use their spiral powers without gunmen, I'd have been toast. "_

"They can use their power openly? Hmmm."

"_Listen, we have a crisis. I'm pinned down on this planet, and more of those damned lackeys will be here soon. I need backup."_

"What about Darry?"

"_She's fine (besides dying and being brought back to life) and sends her regards. Gurren's trashed, so all we have is Lagann. I know I may be asking for too much, but can you send in some gumen? I think we might be able to end the war thanks to my new friends."_

"How so?"

"_While untrained in pilot skills, the natives have an excessive amount of power. They know how to harness it, so it would take no time at all to train them in the necessary skills to defeat our Nemesis."_

"How can you be so certain?"

"_The first person I met on this planet was named Naruto. Guess who he reminded me of?"_

It took Viral a moment to think of an answer. When he did, his eyes widened considerably.

"_Exactly. He also brought someone else back into the fight. Someone you know all too well."_

"Who?"

"_I don't want to spoil all the fun, so I won't say. But I think you'll have an interesting time with this one."_

"Are you suggesting I leave HQ and come to some uncharted planet to meet an uncertainty?"

"_No. I'm saying you should leave HQ to step back into the fight and help end the war. The chief of this village is pulling out all the stops for this. He has more experience with wars than a good piece of all the Spiral races combined. He knows what to do, and I've been setting up plans and traps with him. Thanks to the inhabitants of this world, we can end the war for good!"_

"How can you be so certain that this will work?"

"_The same way Team Dai-Gurren accepted an enemy as Gurren's pilot."_

"…"

"_Trust me on this one Viral. You'd do better on the front lines than at a desk pushing pencils."_

"…I'll consider it."

"_That's better than no. Can I also ask you to send Yoko and Simon over?"_

"It wouldn't be right to leave them out of the mix they started. I'm having your coodinates traced now, so I know where to send them."

"_Thanks Viral…Oh, and before I forget, try to be subtle about entering this planet. This planet is centuries behind us, and a giant spaceship won't help the situation. We can't have a panic breaking out."_

"*Sigh*…Anyone ever tell you how demanding you are?"

"_Only as much as the guy I follow."_

"Viral, out."

As the screen went dark, Viral couldn't help but smirk at Gimmy's plan. While trying to weigh his options, Viral just found himself leaning to the possibility. It wasn't like they had done reckless things before. Doing it just once more might be the key to victory, as it had been all those years ago.

"I guess I'd beter get ready for a long trip. I have a feeling I won't be coming back…Just like three years ago."

I.I.I

…The next day, Naruto had begun his intensive training with Sarutobi, Gimmy, and Kurenai. It was difficult, as his clones, while many, were unable to do much besides expend chakra. And that was only good for Sarutobi's chakra exercises. Piloting Lagann meant getting knocked around by Gurren (piloted by Hinata), and Kurenai was training his genjutsu to the Chunin level. It was a hard challenge, as she was teaching him jutsu just out of his capacity. Only when his clones with the Old Man vanished, did he gain enough control to muster up a weak attack. But she insisted he learn them, as they would need to go on difficult missions soon. He, in turn, would teach Hinata the jutsu, and help maintain a strong team.

Naruto was finishing up on a new skill when Gimmy came up to him, out of breath.

"N…Naruto! Glad I found you!"

"Gimmy, you okay?"

"Just…out of breath…I need you to…come with me."

"Where to?"

"Behind the Monument. We have a special guest to greet today."

"But Simon and Yoko won't arrive until tomorrow."

"It's not them. He made the decision to keep his arrival a surprise. But we need to be at the field, and fast."

"Got it. Hold on."

"Wait! We need Kamina."

"Why?"

"Heh, you'll see," Gimmy said with a grin.

As they left, Kurenai just stood there, confused as to what the rush was about. Might as well go supervise, just in case. She shunshined over to the monument to see what was going on.

I.I.I

"So who are we meeting Gimmy?"

"Patience Kamina," Gimmy said looking at the sky. "Also, can you hand me your sword?"

"Uh sure. Why?"

Gimmy pointed up to the sky with the sheathe. A red spark was slowly getting larger in the darkening sky. As it got larger, it did so slowly. When the strange spark got within a certain height of everyone, the object became known to them.

It was a small, white, round object that looked to be only slightly larger than a tall person. It was still smaller than Lagann, and it was clearly not a gunman. That put everyone's fears to rest. When it landed, the humming noise it made died down, leaving the area deathly silent. A latch opened up in the front, and out stepped something Naruto had only seen one place before.

It's Viral, the guy from the wedding!

"V-Viral? Gimmy, this is the guy you were talking about?"

"How did you know about Viral?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later."

Viral, dressed in his mahogany suit, walked over to Naruto, and placed his hand (or was it a paw) on the boy's head.

"You must be Naruto. Gimmy told me about you and your abilities with Spiral Power. I can't wait to see how good you are piloting Lagann."

"I'm just learning all that now."

"What? Gimmy!" Viral shouted, looking at the red-headed boy. "You haven't even begun his training?"

"I never had the chance! We were so busy up until two days ago that I didn't get any time to start it!"

"Hmph! Well see to it that you get right…on it."

At the last second, Viral turned his head and found he was looking Kamina in the face. What was his old enemy, long known to be dead, doing on this distant planet? Viral had even visited his grave on more than one occasion to pay his respects and apologize for his actions.

"'Sup, furball?"

"…K-Kamina? What is a naked ape like you doing out here?"

Gimmy winced when Viral shouted. It had been forever since hearing his leader talk like that.

"One of the things Naruto can do is bring back the dead." Darry said quietly

"Yup, back from the dead and ready to shred! Gimmy, is this why you took my sword?"

Viral walked over to his old enemy, and clasped him on the shoulders, like he was an old friend.

"Heh…Heheheh. Not even death can break you, eh? Good, that means I get more chances to do so myself!"

"Good luck, 'cause you ain't gonna beat me. Thymilph's spear failed to win, and so will you. No matter what you try, you're just an old dog with no new tricks."

"But this dog still has his fangs," Viral said with an evil grin.

"Too bad they've been whitled down to something weaker than a butter knife."

"Still as arrogant as ever I see. I think we are going to get along…just…FINE."

I.I.I

"Was it really a good idea to get them drunk?" Naruto asked, turning to Kurenai.

After the events at the landing site, Kurenai had taken all of them to dinner, putting the bill on Sarutobi's tab. When night fell, she brought them all to the bar for a few drinking games. She had Kamina and Viral drink about three times the normal amount, getting them piss drunk in record time.

"It was the best way to stop the fighting, and have a little fun!"

"How did you know they would be THAT type of drunk?"

"I didn't."

Both teacher and student looked over to the counter, where Kamina and Viral had two mugs in their hands, and the other arm hanging over the other's shoulder.

"No, I love you man!" Viral said, only a tad less drunk than Kamina.

"N-urp-No! I l-love…you!"

Naruto shook his head in disbelief. He wasn't sure what to make of this.

"This is crazy. Maybe we should get them home before they black out and forget the whole night?"

"Why spoil all the fun? The night is still young my apprentice!" Kurenai said with a smile.

"We still have to worry about Simon and Yoko landing tomorrow."

Naruto felt a hand fall on his shoulder, and turned to see Gimmy with a glass of scotch in his hand. This scared the crap out of Naruto, until he handed it to Kurenai, thanking him for getting it for her.

"Don't worry Naruto, they won't arrive until sundown. This is to avoid startling any civilians about 'other intelligent life' on other planets."

"If you say so. But I still need to get home and sleep. I have too much training to take care of to spend the night out drinking."

"You're allowed to drink?"

"Well, the age requirement in Konoha is fifteen. I'm thirteen, but have special access thanks to my lineage."

"That seems a bit unfair."

"What's the minimum age on Earth?"

"…Twenty-one."

I.I.I

"*SNORE* Oh yes hon! Riiiiiight there!" Leeron cried out in his sleep.

"Psst! Yoko, is he having a gay dream again? I'm kinda scared." Simon whispered to his old friend, scared of Leeron now more than ever.

"Why are you asking me? Why don't you try to figure it out?" Yoko whispered back, a blush on her face.

"As if I'd go anywhere near that bastard!"

"I can't be expected to help you every time you…"

'What?"

"I really hope that is a pickle in his pocket!"

I.I.I

Naruto was excited, to say the least. Today was the day Simon and Yoko would arrive. And while Viral was cool, he didn't have that flare that Kamina said Simon had. It was something you saw in his eyes that inspired you.

"Naruto, I understand you're anxious to meet Simon, but you need to focus on your chakra training."

Sarutobi had him perform some boring exercise where Naruto released his chakra through his fingers into five random areas, each supposedly represented an element. He had to observe the patterns his chakra made, and this would help him with his control issue. It still bored the piss out the blonde.

I.I.I

"Naruto, sidestep left, Hinata, put more power behind your punch! Come on you two, faster! You think the Anti-Spirals will care if you're new to this?"

Behind the Hokage Memorial, the original Naruto and Hinata were training in their gunmen to counter the forces that intended to destroy the Spiral race, and control the universe with an iron fist. It was straining, to say the least. Every hit Lagann took, Naruto thought he felt the same amount of his brain disappear. And having Darry shout at them was a pain in itself.

"Naruto, don't forget that you have a drill! You don't have to dodge the attack, you can go under it! Try it now!"

Lagann released the drills in it's arms, and pierced the ground. The dirt gave way instantly, and Lagann vanished. He resurfaced a second later behind Gurren, and rose into the air. As Darry looked on, she calculated the angle and trajectory the small gunman was heading, and saw that it was going to collide with Gurren.

"_Perfect," _she thought. _"This will be a perfect way to show them why these two gunmen are special."_

Naruto, realizing that he was going to crash into Hinata, tried to curb his path away. Unfortunately, all he managed to do was change from the small drills into the large one on the underside of Lagann. It pierced Gurren's head, and Naruto could almost feel the point make contact with Hinata. But at the last second, Lagann stopped short. A screen appeared on the side, showing a crude image of Gurren and Lagann. It showed both Naruto and Hinata on the inside, with Lagann's drill stopping just a few inches behind her head. Then something unexpected happened.

Naruto looked through the clear screen, and saw Gurren's arms and legs burst apart with longer, more sturdy limbs replacing them. Then a screen appeared showing Lagann's head, and from seemingly nowhere, a strange helmet came up from behind, and landed on Lagann. The helmet had a ring on the top, but looked to be chipped. It gave a battle-hardened feeling to Lagann's face. Naruto liked it, and admired the new feel Lagann had. But as he thought of the newly made gunman, Naruto remembered that Hinata was right below the drill.

"Hinata, you okay?" Naruto said, opening a screen to check on his beloved.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I was a little surprised when a drill broke the ceiling behind me, but I'm fine."

Another screen appeared to Naruto's left, showing Darry pressing her earpiece in.

"Looks like you two finally discovered Gurren Lagann. And it only took you two days of training."

"Gurren Lagann? What, you couldn't come up with a better name for it, so you combined the two separate names? Who's lame idea was that?"

About three seconds after asking that, Naruto heard a knocking on Lagann. He opened the hatch (making him wonder what happened to the helmet when he did) and saw Kamina there, an angry look on his face. He still looked a bit drunk, so that might have added fuel to the fire.

"I decided on the name, ass!" he said as he belted Naruto in the face.

"OW! Did you have to knock my head clean off my shoulders?"

"Have a little respect for the way other people work!"

"Fine! Jut get off of me!"

As Kamina stepped back, Naruto noticed an instant where Kamina was open, and struck him clear in the face. Kamina went reeling back, and fell off of Gurren Lagann. As he landed, the entire world shook with the impact.

"…OOOOOOOW!"

"Rule 14 of the Ninja Creed: Never leave your guard open. If one does so, they will 90% of the time, die on the spot."

"…"

"You still alive?"

Darry walked over to Kamina, and placed two fingers on his neck. After a second, she pulled away, looked up at Naruto.

"He's alive, just unconscious. He'll probably be out for a few hours. At least until midnight."

"…When are Yoko and Simon supposed to get here?"

"At ten. Why?"

"Perfect. Now we don't have to worry about when they first arrive. He won't be awake, and won't screw up the plan."

"Hmmm. I see what you're saying, but what do we do with him?" Darry said indicating Kamina.

"I still have the coffin from when we revived him. If we put a few tubes in it, then give him a few days of food. We can 'revive' him again whe we've set it up."

"That's kind of harsh."

"No plan is perfect."

I.I.I

Within the secret base of Orochimaru, hundreds of miles away from Konoha, Kabuto was informing his master of recent events within the Land of Waves.

"Lord Orochimaru, it seems that fifth seat Gato has defected from us. Captain Zabuza has reported a new faction being created."

"Good work Kabuto. Inform Zabuza to maintain radio silence in the field, and keep an eye on the traitor. I want a report every twelve hours on the hour. Now leave me."

"As you command, my liege."

As soon as Kabuto closed the doors, the man in the shadows stepped out, and crossed his arms. He had no physically defining appearance, just a black body with a constantly moving outline. The only details on him were his eyes and mouth, and even then they didn't move. When he talked, his voice rumbled deep, and echoed a bit.

"Everything is going as planned. Soon, those Spiral fools will fall right into our trap, and we will end this pitiful war."

"Kukukuku, you certainly are devious, aren't you? Why do you want those non-ninja fools anyway?" Orochimaru voiced his thoughts to the strange man.

"That is none of your concern. Let me work my plans into yours, and we will both get what we want."

Within an instant, Orochimaru was up and inches away from the stranger. His forced some of his KI out, hoping to intimidate the entity. The man merely laughed, as though the power tickled him.

"Do not think your pitiful Spiral power will work on me. Your weak species has no power over one such as myself."

"Oh? What do you hope to gain by 'using' me?"

"What I intend to do is none of your business, lower life form."

With that, the stranger stepped back into the shadows, and disappeared. As he stood there alone, Orochimaru couldn't help but think about what that guy had planned.

"Kukukuku. He thinks that I will play the pawn, but this king is about to show that rook how the game works."

I.I.I

"Yoko honey, how many times have I told you about my dreams?"

"Too many times if you ask me. I don't need to know about three guys-"

"Yes yes, they were so dreamy. Just thinking about them makes my insides tingle in delight." Leeron said, wiggling in ecstasy in his seat.

"Ugh. Can we change the topic now? I'm going to lose my lunch at this rate."

At this time, Simon spoke up.

"So uh, anyone know about this planet we're going to?"

"Hon, besides the ninjas, there isn't anything of interest about these guys," Leeron huffed. "They're a simple race of humans, but not as much as we were before Team Dai-Gurren. Gimmy said they were about as amazing as us, but I think he's exaggerating."

"I think we should give 'em a chance. I mean, we started out as nobodies. Just a kid, two teens, a pigmole, and a mechanic. A month later, we became Team Dai-Gurren, and defeated Lord Genome. If we can do that, why can't these people do things just as good?"

Leeron adopted a thinking look, and held it for a few minutes. His expression changed every few seconds, from hopeful, to doubting, and back. Simon and Yoko just looked at him, impatience growing on their faces. Finally, Leeron spoke up.

"Hmmmmm, you got point sweetie. I mean, Viral's willing to place his bets on this. He's the most cynical out of all of us. I guess it's only fair to give those cuties a try."

"Hey Leeron," Yoko said curiously. "How did Viral convince you to come along?"

"…He didn't. He put in a request with Rossiu, who gave me clearance to leave his service for a few months. I didn't have a say in the matter. It's almost like they think I'M a gunman. Like I have no soul, and my only purpose is to follow orders blindly."

Simon grew serious at this, and spoke with a calm, assertiveness.

"Well you're not! Yeah, you're a mechanic, but you're also a good man (minus the raping part) who's done plenty for the Team! Even if you weren't a mechanic, you'd still be a valuable member of our crew!"

Yoko nodded. She agreed with that statement entirely. Leeron was their closest friend, and the one person everyone confided in. He was a great listener, and always kept silent about other's secrets. It just wrong for him to be used like that.

"Simon's right! Leeron, you've been with us the entire journey. You were there when Kamina died, when we beat Lord Genome, when we beat the Anti-Spirals, and when Nia died. You are like the older brother everyone can trust. Leeron, we are going to have a LONG talk with Rossiu when we get back to Earth."

Leeron teared up, and quickly wiped them away. He was lucky to have such good friends.

"Thank you, both of you. Where would I be without you guys?"

"Stuck in Littner doing repairs for the rest of your life."

"Mmm-hmm. Got that right sweetie."

I.I.I

"So remind me again. Why are we going to Konoha?"

About two days away from Konoha, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro were walking along. Gaara was ten paces in front, the other two putting space between them and their psychopath brother. Temari, being the smart one, took care of all the assignment requests.

"Kankuro you idiot! I just told you why! Konoha's Hokage called on a few favors, and asked for the best team from Suna. Looking at the list of capable teams, we were naturally the best choice. But as for why they need us, I'm about as in the dark as you. That damn old man of theirs didn't give any specifics, so we just have to go with it and hope for the best," Temari said with a shrug.

"So long as they validate my existence, I care not what we do," Gaara said in his coldly calm voice. " I will kill all who stand in my way, friend or foe."

Temari and Kankuro stopped, letting the distance between them and the insane one increase dramatically. They knew that when he spoke like that, the closest person to him would die a slow, painful death.

"Kankuro, how many bags of pig blood do you have left?" Temari whispered to her brother.

"About ten. Enough to get to Konoha. Should I get one ready?"

"YES! And be quick about it!"

I.I.I

Back in Konoha, on a small field training with his new team, Kiba was having a rough time of it. His team Jounin, Gai, decided that today they would have a three-way match between Kiba, Lee, and Neji. It wasn't that Kiba couldn't handle it…Okay, maybe it was. But he was fighting a guy that LIVED on taijutsu training, AND a Hyuuga prodigy. All Kiba had going for him was Akamaru and his Beast Mimicry jutsu. But Gai had forbidden jutsu, to make things fair for Lee (not that he needed a handicap). But now limited to his mid-genin taijutsu, Kiba was sorely outmatched. But he remembered one lesson that truly defined what a ninja was about.

"_Time to pull an ace out of my sleeve."_

"Beast Mimicry! Fang over Fang!" Kiba cried, launching into his signature combo.

He whirled through the air, aimed directly at Neji, who had been decimating Lee. The spiraling mass of fur sheathed his claws, using only the blunt force of his fists. He collided with the Hyuuga, and knocked him to the ground. Kiba halted his attack, and looked behind him, expecting a counter-attack. When no foe charged at him, he stood up, and suppressed his chakra. He walked over to Neji and pulled him to his feet. Then he did the same with Lee, who looked like absolute crap from Neji's assault. Then Gai jumped out of the tree he watched the fight from, and walked over to Kiba.

"Well Sensei, what do you thi-"

Before Kiba could finish his question, Gai threw a mighty right hook, sending the boy reeling back. As he stood up, Kiba pressed his now numb left arm to his bleeding face.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For disobeying a direct order! You were instructed to use no jutsu!"

"Too bad! I was following rule number 12 of the Ninja Creed: Accomplish the mission by any means necessary! And one of the things about being a ninja is to be deceitful! If I must break a rule to win my fight and finish the mission, then that's what I'll do!"

Neji looked at him with something similar to understanding and acceptance of what Kiba said. He knew that if one must breal the rules, then one must. But to complete the assignment to the letter is what makes a ninja honorable. Neji didn't argue with his logic, but he wasn't about to openly support him. Gai would have his hide if he did.

"Kiba, I see what you're getting' at, but this is a training session. Under my amazing tutelage, you are to follow my rules to the letter! Do you understand?"

"Yes Sensei! I won't do it again."

"Good! Now then, in light of that, I think you earned a passing grade for doing things the Ninja Way. Take the day off, you earned it Kiba." Gai flashed him his signature smile, and off Kiba went.

"_Take me with you!" _Neji thought to himself. He couldn't stand being with these two any longer.

I.I.I

In the forest nearby, Tenten was watching the match with interest. She was getting valuable info about Gai's team, something that might come in handy some day. It was a habit she developed out of sheer curiosity after reading a few 'How To' guides in the public library. In one of the books, she had seen a quote that really made her think:

_"Know thy enemy and know thyself, and you need not fear a hundred battles. Know thyself but not thy enemy, and the outcome is always in doubt. Know neither yourself nor your enemy, and defeat is certain."_

Since she figured she knew herself decently, she just moved on to studying her classmates. What she gathered had been…interesting. Her teamates, Ino and Sakura, were on par with each other. But Ino was more prone to reason and logic than the infamous Pink Banshee. Their jounin sensei, Kakashi Hatake, had an extensive background, but Tenten couldn't find any info on his abilities.

She had also done research on Shino's team, with Choji, Sasuke, and their sensei Itachi, but there wasn't much to study beside Shino. It was easy to do work on the others, as they were either well known or had little power (Choji). Shino was the only difficult one. He managed to elude her at every turn, like he knew she was there. She had very little to go on with him, so she just skipped him.

Now she was on Gai's team, with Neji, Kiba, and Lee. Neji was easy, due to his heritage. Lee was simple, as he couldn't use jutsus. Kiba was a well-rounded person. He would be the one to go places. But Tenten was kind of interested in Lee. Like Tenten, he didn't use jutsu, just his fists. Tenten used ninja tools, save for her sealing jutsus for carrying said weapons.

The only team she had to do now was Kurenai's team, and she knew it wouldn't be too much work. She was curious as to how that team was picked though. A dead last, a lazy bum, and a Hyuuga let-down, it didn't make much sense!

"Hey Tenten! What are you doing over here?" Ino asked, coming through the trees.

"Oh nothing, just watching these guys fight it out."

"…Aw, no Sasuke! Why watch if it's just a bunch of second-rate losers? If it was my lovely Sasuke, THEN it would be worth watching!"

"What's so great about that emo dork?"

"*Gasp!* Take that back about Sasuke-kun! He's the best at what he does, and he isn't emo! He just lost his family, can you blame him?"

"Yes I can. We are ninja, death is a common factor around us. Sure, it was a majority of a high-ranking clan, but even still. The funeral ended two days ago, just get over it."

At this time, Sakura walked up. She had a scowl on her face, so she had most likely been listening to the conversation. Her fists were clenched so tightly, the knuckles were white as snow. One could almost feel the KI rolling off of her in massive waves.

"Sasuke-kun is the most lovely, amazing, cool, strong, handsome, skilled person in existence! Don't EVER say such bad things about him Tenten-baka!"

"*Sigh*…So the other fan girl finally shows her ugly forhead. How did I land on a team of Sasuke chauvinists? Even my lame teacher is so focused on that damn emo."

"BAKA! Quit calling Sasuke-kun an emo!"

Tenten sighed once more, wishing more than anything to be on another team. She would GLADLY trade places with someone on Gai's or Kurenai's team.

"_If there is a God, please let my saving grace come soon! I don't know how much more I can take!"_

I.I.I

"NOM NOM NOM!"

"*Sigh* Choji, there is this thing called table manners. Ever heard of them?"

Back in Konoha, Shino and Choji were sitting down at the Large One's (Choji) favorite barbeque restaurant. Like always, Choji was eating everything like he was about to enter hibernation, while Shino was eating like a polite, calm gentleman.

"Yeah I have, but I don' need 'em."

"We're eating in a public restaurant. Why would you think you don't need table manners?"

"Because I'm an Akamichi. People just know when they see me."

"Maybe you should try to be an exception."

"What's that? Does it taste good?"

"*Sigh* You, my friend, need to get your mind out of the bowl."

"It's not! It's in my head."

Shino sweat-dropped, finished his meal, and got up. As he went to pay the EXTREMELY large tab, Shino noticed someone peculiar on the other end of the room. Upon closer inspection, Shino noticed that it was an ANBU. But not just any ANBU! It was a captain.

Shino walked over to witness a rarity. It was not often that one saw an ANBU among the common folk. Usually if they were, then they'd be off duty without their uniforms.

When Shino got close enough, he identified the ANBU to be female, possibly twenty. She had purple hair, not unlike Hinata's, except that it flowed down to her mid-section. She wore an unusually deep green jumpsuit, with a black armor plating covering her torso. She carried two katanas over her shoulders in an 'X' fashion, with two daggers hanging on both sides of her waist. On her right arm was a white bracer that shone brilliantly, and on her left arm was a black bracer that seemed like an endless abyss. Her eyes were a strikingly beautiful blue, more so that it felt as if they were staring into your very soul.

On the table, was a werewolf mask. It put Shino in a state of awe. All masks had an animal, and captain masks were supposed to show a mythical half human breed. Shino couldn't help but stare at this rare sight.

"Hey, Four-eyes! Are you gonna stand there gawking all day?"

"Um…Sorry. It's rare to see an ANBU captain, so I was just taking it in."

"Hmph. Not much to take in. Just someone taking a lunch break. Grab a seat."

Shino did as he was told, wondering who this was. As if she could read his mind, she answered his question.

"My name is Akira, Akira Masa. What's yours?"

"Shino Aburame."

"Well Shino, what rank are you?"

"Genin."

"Ah, fresh bait. I remember my days as a small fry. I wanted to strangle that damn cat SO MUCH!"

"You lost me at 'cat'."

"Something most genin end up doing is a retrieval mission to get a cat named Tora. Damn tom nearly scratched my eyes out. It was the ONE time I hated cats."

"Right…So are there any tips you could give me?"

"…Duck."

"Hmm?"

Something hard smashed into Shino's head from behind. His head went forward and smacked the table, leaving a small dent in the wood.

"Shino you bastard!"

As he picked up his head, Shino heard Choji's voice call in from the kitchen. The Large One was wearing an apron, with a sponge in his hand. He was panting heavily, and the anger on his face was obvious.

"Thanks to YOU not paying the bill like you PROMISED, they dragged me into the back to work it off! What the hell man?

"…I met someone."

"Who the hell could you possibly meet in a few minutes?"

Shino pointed at Akira, who had an amused look on her face. It was funny seeing chubby people angry. When Choji looked at her, the look on his face…priceless! All the color drained away when he saw the mask, and he began to shiver.

"A-A-ANBU?"

"Yup. What 'cha gonna do 'bout it, Lardo?"

"*Gulp* N-Nothing."

"That's right. Now walk away like a good mouse."

Almost instantly, Choji was out of the room. If one could see Shino's expression, it would be a face of awe and curiosity.

"You have GOT to tell me how to do that."

I.I.I

"Crap! Crap! CRAP! I'm late! Shit, Akira is gonna KILL me!"

Running through the streets of Konoha, Claude was racing towards one restaurant after another. Him, Akira, and their long-time friend Kenichi Mitsuo, had the weekly thing where they meet at a diner to catch up. It was fun, if Claude made it in time. Otherwise Akira would…Claude shivered at the thought.

"Hey, that must be it! Oh God, I pray Akira doesn't…*Gulp*."

Claude stopped outside the door, composed himself, and calmly walked in. In the corner, Akira was chatting with a small kid that hid most of his face.

_Did Ken change into a little kid over the past three weeks he was gone? Maybe I should lay off the Red Bull._

Walking over to the table, Claude waited for a break in the conversation to let his words be heard.

"Ay Akira! Sorry I'm late, a uh, black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around."

_Genius Claude! No one would EVER use a Kakashi Excuse besides the man himself! That's why it's the perfect lie!_

"Claude," Akira said with a creepy smile on her face. "I'm going to say goodbye to Shino here, and you better tell me why you're REALLY late."

_Oh shit!_

Claude estimated he had about ten seconds to think up another excuse. He watched as the boy named Shino got up and walked away. Akira turned to him, and Claude decided that there was nothing he could say that would save him.

"I was keeping track of my little brother!"

Not entirely a lie. He was under orders to keep track of his brother and his friends. If he told part of the truth, and Akira went to Sarutobi asking about it, then he'd be in the clear, right? But with the other orders the Third Hokage gave him, Claude was still a very busy person.

"That's your alibi? Can you please stop using excuses that Kakashi would use? It's just pathetic."

"I'm telling the truth Akira! Ask Hokage-sama, he'll vouch for me!"

"Hmmm…"

"Um, is there something on my face? You're really staring into my soul here."

"The only thing on your face is that hideous mask! HA! But whatever, you're forgiven for being late…this one time."

At that moment, a hand smacked Claude in the back of the head. He heard Akira burst out laughing, and turned to retaliate, until he saw who it was.

"Ken, you bastard! How long have you been in town?"

"Long enough to know your persuasion techniques haven't dulled any." Ken said in his gruff voice.

Standing in front of Claude was Kenichi Matsuo, Claude and Akira's oldest friend. The guy was usually serious about everything. Whenever Claude started to joke around, Ken would either ignore it or smack him in the back of the head, like earlier. Ken didn't tolerate mischief, lying, or any other minor misdeeds. It was a wonder that he and Claude became friends.

"Distant as ever, I see. Well no worries! How's your dad? You been back to see him yet?"

"Yeah. He's looking healthy as ever. I'm surprised he never made ANBU, considering his skill."

"Well you know," Akira piped up from her seat, "That sometimes good recruits are overlooked because the scouts are focused on lineage more than ability. I wonder who beat him to the punch."

"Dad never talks about his allies badly, even if they got in his way." Ken said with some pride.

"That's good and all," Claude interrupted, "But I'm bored now! Let's go to our little spot behind the memorial and spar a bit."

"I swear Claude, you have the attention span of a fly." Akira said, shrugging.

I.I.I

"Attention passengers, the Arc-Gurren will be landing within ten minutes. Please place all belongings in their respective baggage, and fasten your seatbelts. We enjoyed having your patronage, and hope you choose us again."

Simon placed his photo of Nia back into his bag, and walked over to Yoko and Leeron. He nodded at them, signaling that it was time to go. Leeron placed his makeup in his satchel, and Yoko put her own photos away. It was time to get off the ship.

Unlike all the other passengers, Simon, Yoko, and Leeron were getting off the ship via escape pod. Since they were going to an underdeveloped planet, a giant spaceship landing in a field would most likely cause panic. That left the more subtle option of using an escape pod to land in the dead of night. Viral had already cleared them for the pods, placing special passes in the letters he had sent them. It was a special perk from having a friend of yours in charge of the only military faction in the known areas of the universe.

They walked to the bridge, where they presented their passes, and the captain pressed a few buttons on his control panel. The ship slowed to a crawl, but this was unknown to the other passengers, as there were no windows to use, and there was no kinetic force to carry them when the ship decreased its speed. Three pods emerged from the floor on the side of the room, and the captain motioned for them to enter. As they did, the doors closed with a 'whoosh', and another automated voice rang through their pods.

"This is the Arc-Gurren emergency escape pod. Please keep all hands and feet inside the pod at all times until movement has stopped. Any loss of limb, life, masculinity, femininity, or otherwise are solely held responsible by the owner. In the event of a crash, there is a pistol with one bullet ready to assist with suicide."

"Who the hell designed these pods?" Simon asked incredulously.

As he voiced out his thoughts, Simon felt his weight slip away, and he hit his head on the low ceiling. He quickly grabbed onto the safety belt, pulled himself in, and strapped himself to the wall. He looked out the window to see the other two pods floating with his, and noticed a spot of red on Yoko's pod window.

"_She forgot to strap herself in too."_ Simon thought.

Then Simon felt a rumbling in his pod, and the rockets activated, steering him and his friends down to the green and blue planet below. Looks like they were finally about to meet their new protégés…

I.I.I

"Naruto-kun, I think Gimmy called for us."

"Okay Hinata, oh, and thanks for the new clothes."

It was sunset now, and Konoha had a beautiful orange glow about it. Naruto, who had recently showered, shaved (not that he had anything TO shave), and groomed himself for the arrival of his new mentor and friend, was now putting on a new outfit Hinata recommended for him.

Naruto wore simple black khakis that ended at his ankles. He wore a tucked in collared shirt over a white tee. Over that he had on an open black jacket. He didn't own any shoes, but Hinata had taken care of that and bought him a pair of black sandals to go with his outfit. It was a nice formal casual appearance, one that worked well with Naruto's spiky blonde hair.

"Hey Hinata," Naruto called out looking at his new silver watch. "You ready yet? Gimmy is quite impatient as you kn-"

"…Wh-what's wrong? Is there something on me?"

"You…You look…amazing!"

Hinata was wearing a dark blue dress that flowed down to her knees. It stopped just a few inches short of her neck. The straps were small, and looked like they would barely support the weight of her dress. She also had on a light blue undershirt that covered her shoulders and arms, ending in a lacey design at her wrists. On her feet were small white heels, with ankle high socks. In her hands was a small purse with a wave design on the lower half. The dress complimented Hinata's hair nicely. All in all, she was so stunning, Naruto was shocked speechless.

Hinata blushed at the compliment, and stared down, pressing her two index fingers together in her usual manner when she got embarrassed. It was nice that her Naruto-kun was showing her so much affection and understanding, but it was a little embarrassing at the same time.

"Th-thank you Naruto-kun," She managed to squeak out.

As if on cue to ruin the moment, a loud, impatient knocking was hear at the door. Naruto swore under his breath, and walked over to the door. As he opened it, he saw Gimmy, Darry, Viral, and Kurenai standing there, waiting on the couple. All of them were dressed nicely, save for Kurenai, as she had no nice clothing that wasn't revealing.

"Hmph, capable of ending a universal civil war that has lasted for eons, but can't get ready to go somewhere on time. Maybe we should leave without them?" Gimmy asked Darry.

Darry slapped him on the arm, saying not to even joke like that, and that he only got out sooner because Darry had rushed him. Everyone laughed at that, which helped to calm some of the butterflies in Naruto's stomach.

"Well I'm ready, Hinata is almost done I think. You guys go on ahead, Kurenai can shunshin you three there."

The aforementioned kunzite sighed, not having been asked if she could be used like a taxi. She did what was said, and took them to the field behind the momument, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone once more.

"We certainly have an interesting group of friends, don't we?" Hinata asked her fiancé.

"Better than what it used to be two weeks ago. It almost feels like a lifetime ago."

At that time, Tora came up beside Naruto, and began to rub up against his leg, purring loudly. It surprised Naruto, but not Hinata, as she had been spending a few days with the tom already.

"Tora? Hey there. What are you doing, crazy cat?" Naruto said, gently picking up the tom. He placed his left arm under the cat, giving him support, and began to stroke him slowly. This caused Tora to purr even louder, making him vibrate against Naruto's chest. It tickled, causing the blonde to laugh.

"Naruto-kun, I didn't realize that you were good with cats."

"Neither did I. Maybe it's because of Ryujimaru?"

"Wasn't me. I don't get along with cats.," came a voice from the window.

Looking in that direction, Naruto and Hinata saw Ryu and Minato on the windowsill. As if on cue, Tora began to hiss at Ryu, who merely ignored it like it happened frequently. The yellow rabbit climbed down from the window and hopped over to Hinata, who picked him up and began to cuddle him.

"Hi Minato-san, where were you two today?"

"Well Missy, at first we were sunbathing-"

"-but that got boring, so I dragged Minato into town to mess with the villagers. It was hilarious to see their reactions when a miniature Fox Demon was seen dragging the struggling body of a golden rabbit!"

"And none of this can be traced back to me?" Naruto inquired cautiously.

"Hmm? Oh probably, most likely… Nah, they're probably trying to rip down that one Old Man's door, hoping to get a complaint in."

Dammit Ryu! Don't make me do something I'll regret."

"You wouldn't dare boy!"

"Wouldn't I?" Naruto bluffed. "I bet if I tried right now, I could make your real body inside my mind feel agonizing pain. Would you care to figure out?"

"Naruto-kun, please don't. I don't like it when you two fight."

"Sorry Hinata, got carried away. Hmm… Oh SHIT!" Naruto said looking down at his watch. "Hinata, we have to go now. Minato, can I trust you to look after Ryu, and make sure he doesn't eat Tora?"

"Don't worry son, he wouldn't dare he?" Minato directed that last part at Ryu, who looked away in shame.

"Good. Thanks Dad, we'll be back in a few hours. Shall we Hinata?"

She nodded, and the two genin shunshined towards the Hokage Memorial. As they arrived, they noted that more people were there than they originally intended to have. Naturally, Gimmy, Darry, Viral, Kurenai, and Sarutobi were there to greet the newcomers. But also in the field was Shino, Shikamaru (Who was walking with a pair of crutches), some woman in fishnet clothing with a large brown trench coat, Kiba, Tenten, Neji, and Kakashi. On the other side of the clearing, Naruto could see three ANBU in the trees.

"_I thought this was supposed to be a secret! Why the hell are so many people here?"_

As if to answer his question, Sarutobi stepped forward and began to tell Naruto how they came to be here.

"Naruto, as you know, Shino has known about your recent events with Gimmy and Darry. Shikamaru is your teammate, and as such, must be a part of what is to come. The other three genin, Kiba, Neji, and Tenten are here because if what Mr…Viral was it?..Okay then. If what he told me is accurate, we have a full scale invasion approaching. I have personally selected these three for your cause due to their innate ability to handle any situation with the utmost capability, and get the job done. As for Kakashi, we needed more than one adult to assist with this mission, and he fit's the bill best."

"What about her, the woman in fishnet clothing?"

"Ah yes, Anko Mitarashi. She is a capable fighter with many useful skills. She can hit a target a mile away a hundred out of a hundred times. Trust me, you'll need her."

Anko stepped forward, and began to size up Naruto. She looked him over for a minute, as though deciding if he was worthy of her support. Finally, she spoke up.

"I'm supposed to listen to this brat? Lord Hokage, are you sure about this?"

Naruto ignored the 'brat' comment, and returned to his conversation with Sarutobi.

"If you say she can help, then I'm happy to have her on the team. Welcome aboard Anko."

Naruto held out his hand to accept her, but she just stood there, looking at the boy like he was messed up in the head. Sure enough, a second later:

"Is this kid retarded? Like I'm going to take orders from a prepubescent genin!"

Saruobi leaned over to Anko, and began to whisper into her ears.

"You will if you want to keep your job and hunt down your old mentor. If you don't I'll have you discharged, and banish you to some foreign country even more remote that Suna."

At that moment, Anko perked up and walked over to Naruto. She grabbed his still open hand, and began to shake it rapidly.

"Happy to be aboard Naruto! I can't wait till we smash some heads in! "

At that moment, Gimmy called out for everyone to hush, and pointed to the sky. Three orange specks were slowly approaching from the dark, night sky. Some of the newcomers looked on with awe at the spectacle, but those that were there for Viral's arrival knew what to expect, and were not so surprised.

"What the hell am I looking at?" Shikamaru said quietly.

"Technology that is centuries ahead of your race." Gimmy said.

The three pods slowed to a crawl as they came within ten meters of the ground. If one listened closely, they could hear an automated voice go off inside the oval shape:

"This is the Arc-Gurren emergency escape pod. We have successfully landed on an uncharted planet. Please keep all hands and feet inside the pod at all times until the vehicle has completely stopped, wrecked, or self-destructed. In the event of a loss of limb, there is a lighter to cauterize the stump. "

"_Who the hell makes these pods?" _Naruto thought to himself.

"_I am such a friggin genius."_ Viral thought.

"I'm going to KILL Viral!" Leeron muttered under his breath.

The small pods landed with a thump, and the hum of the rockets died. All was quiet for a many a minute, then the pod on the left opened up, and out stepped a young man with short, spiky, dark blue hair.

"Simon!" Gimmy and Darry cried out in unison.

"Hey Gimmy, Darry," Simon called back, waving. "So which one of these kids is Naruto? I want to see my apprentice."

"I'm Naruto," the blonde said, and stepped forward. He stopped in front of the tall man that was to be his teacher, and held out his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Simon."

Both Naruto and Simon locked eyes, and all was silent again. After another minute, Simon smirked, grasped Naruto hand tightly, and shook it vigorously.

"Heh, I think I like you Naruto! I see a passion in your eyes that reminds me of a long dead friend. I think you and I are going to become good friends."

At that moment, the other two pods opened, revealing Yoko and Leeron. The latter of the two surprised Naruto, as he had no idea that the gay person would be joining them. Gimmy and Darry raced over to them, giving them a hug. If one looked closely, one could see a nosebleed when Gimmy hugged Yoko.

"So the gay guy will be joining us? This is going to be a long four months." Naruto said quietly.

Simon looked at Naruto with a weird expression. How had this boy known that Leeron was gay? What was it that Naruto had not shared with them? Simon was hoping that Naruto would be willing to share this.

"How do you know about Leeron?"

Naruto looked at Simon for a second, then responded slowly.

"His name is Leeron? Hmm, what da ya know? I've just been calling him the gay guy ever since."

"Ever since what?"

"Oh, just some recurring dream I've been having for about five days. I'll tell you more later."

Simon just nodded and accepted that as what it was…for now. Everyone walked over to the other arrivals, and began talking like it was a family reunion. In a sense, it was for some of them. Simon and Viral got into a little sparring match, Gimmy and Darry were heckling Yoko about where she had been after that last fight they had three years ago, and Naruto had his friends introduce themselves. This was where things picked up.

"My name is Hinata Hyuuga. It is a pleasure to meet you." Hinata said bowing to the foreigners.

Hinata…Hinata…Why does that name sound familiar?" Yoko asked, putting a finger to her lips and adopting a thoughtful pose. "Hmmm."

"I-Is there something wrong Yoko-san?"

"Hmm…Now I remember!" Yoko suddenly exclaimed, placing her right fist into her left cupped hand. "I'm supposed to train you in how to use a rifle!"

"Train m-me?" Hinata stammered.

'Yeah, nuthin' too advanced, just little skills until you can hit three bulls eyes with a single bullet at least a thousand times in a row."

"Is that all," Simon whispered sarcastically into Naruto's ear. "Here I was thinking she'd go the full nine miles and teach her how to kill a gnat that's on the other side of the universe."

"I heard that Mr. 'Rejected-by-a-Klutz'!" Yoko called over her shoulder mockingly.

Naruto laughed at Simon's embarrassment, as did everyone else. It felt good to have friends like these to joke around with. Naruto couldn't help but enjoy that his family was always growing. And to think that in one month's time, he was to get married to the most beautiful girl in his life. Yeah, life was good…Life was good.


	18. Chapter 18

**THE UZUMAKI BRIGADE**

"Okay Naruto, come at me," Simon called out in another Lagann that Viral had ordered.

It had been three days since Simon, Yoko, and Leeron had arrived in Konoha. The first two days had been interesting. Naruto and Hinata had shown them around the village, letting them experience the foods, the entertainment, and for Leeron, the architecture and history of Konoha. To the newcomers, these people had a sturdy civilization building, but since they hadn't the technology of gunmen on the planet, they had advanced much more slowly in that department.

Now that the foreigners had a decent feel for the village, they had decided that it was time to train their new protégés in their respective fields (a.k.a piloting and using a rifle). At the moment, Simon was training Naruto in battle techniques with Lagann.

"Yahhh!" Naruto cried as he charged at Simon.

Simon sidestepped the punch Naruto threw, and began to dig underground. Naruto had searched the field for him fruitlessly. After another three seconds, Simon emerged five feet behind Naruto and was about twenty feet in the air, using the propulsion system in Lagann's back. Then the blue-haired pilot had tossed paintballs down on Naruto, peppering him in blue, black, and mostly red.

"Keep your guard up at all times," Simon called as he slowly descended to the ground. "If that had been a real attack, you'd be dead already. You have to remember that moving is key when fighting gunmen, whether you are fighting one or one hundred. And while I'm thinking about it, always make sure you know where your opponent is. If you lose sight of them, retreat a short distance away, then scout for them. You don't want them to get a sneak attack in, because they won't use paintballs."

"Ptew! Ptew ptew!" Naruto spat out some of the paint that had gotten in his mouth. "Ugh God! What's in these things?"

"Oh, just some dried mustard, food coloring, a few pieces of bug cocoons, and a touch of sand to give it texture. I added a bit of water so that it would still flow like blood. Speaking of which, I used some pig blood that the butcher in the shopping district was willing to give me. How is it?"

'It tastes HORRIBLE! Why didn't you just buy a few from the general store that was a block away?"

"But then there wouldn't be as much incentive for you," Simon joked.

"Ugh, I think that I need to go wash off. But just to make sure I get the full lesson…"

Naruto created a clone right quick, leaving it to go wash off. The copy henged before entering his Lagann, and the two continued their training session…

I.I.I

"Okay Darry, I got his coffin dug up! Get the chloroform ready in case he turns violent!"

On the other side of the clearing, a Naruto clone was helping Darry dig up Kamina from his makeshift tomb. Now that Yoko and Simon had landed, he should be awake, and ready to come out of his small container. And if Naruto knew Kamina, just a little, then the blue-haired teen should be VERY pissed.

Darry came over with a wet rag that carried a sweet fragrance on it. Naruto, with his enhanced senses because of Ryu's chakra input, was able to smell it, and it gave him a light head. He shook the drowsiness away, and focused on opening the coffin. As soon as he began, the cover burst out, flying about ten feet away. A VERY pissed, and VERY hungry Kamina stepped out of his wooden cage, with a wild look in his eyes that said everything.

"…Naruto," Kamina said quietly, something that made the blonde cringe worse than if he had shouted. "Why the hell did you shove me back into that…thing?"

"A precaution Aniki," Naruto said calmly, holding up his hand in a peaceful manner. "If you had been out here when Simon and Yoko had landed…Well let's just say I know you, and you would most likely give them a heart attack. Don't forget, they don't know that you're alive."

"That's a load of crap! Simon wouldn't mphmph-!"

At that moment, Darry had taken the drugged rag and snuck up on Kamina, placing it over his nose and mouth. At first he struggled, but after a few seconds the chloroform began to kick in, and Kamina was out like a light again.

"How long do you think that he'll be out?" Naruto asked.

"My guess is about two hours, tops. We'd best get him somewhere isolated and restrain him before he wakes up." Darry said sternly.

"Right, I'll ask Gramps if I can stow him with the Interrogation Corps. There he can kick and scream all he wants, and no one will be any wiser about the invasion. Plus if anyone does get suspicious, the Hokage will give them some excuse about him being a mental asylum patient or something."

"There are kind of a few holes in your theory Naruto." Darry said, voicing her thoughts.

"Well we can't restrain him in a populated area, and we can't leave him out in the open or someone might find him. Plus there aren't that many abandoned buildings in Konoha. People take what they can get, you know?"

"*Sigh* Fine then. You know Naruto, you can be real stubborn sometimes," said Darry, shaking her head and shrugging in false defeat.

"Only as much as my friends Darry."

I.I.I

"…Hmmm. I wonder what Daddy is doing. I haven't talked with him for a few days."

Back at Naruto's apartment, Hinata was relaxing and looking after Tora, the cat of the Fire Daimyo's wife. It wasn't really all that interesting though. Sure the little tom was cute, but all he really did was rub against her leg, and meow when he wanted something. Since he was back in good health, Hinata figured she could let a clone stay with the fella and take care of it. And while the copy did that, she could visit her father.

With this idea in mind, Hinata stepped out the window, and shunshined over to the Hyuuga Compound. As she arrived at the mansion that overlooked the rest of the district, Hinata turned around to gaze at the beautiful scenery that stood before her. The sun shined brightly overhead, giving the whole district a golden white glow to it. It caught her breath, and she wished that she could capture it somehow. But she would have to settle for the memory, something that was just as good.

Pushing open the door to the main lobby, Hinata was greeted by Neji, who looked a little upset. As he stomped by, Hinata caught a glimpse of a 'kick me' sign on his back. She giggled at that for a second, and turned around to see a pair of whiskers and fangs appear before her.

"Hello darling," Naruto said, placing a kiss on his beloved's face. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Hello Naruto-kun," Hinata said quietly, returning the kiss. "I came to see how my father is doing. It's been a few days since I last saw him, and I've just been curious to see what's been happening at the estate."

"Hmm. Right now, I believe that Pops is instructing me on a few techniques with my swords right now. If you want I can get him out here. I'm not in a rush to learn anything new."

"P-Pops?" Hinata stammered.

"Oh right, um," Naruto said, scratching a place behind his head. "I decided that 'Father' was too formal for my taste, so I dropped it down to that. He doesn't seem to care too much. But everyone else seems to have issues with me. Although, I'm kind of glad that they do, it's been weird ever since Gramps told the village about my heritage. They all treat me so nicely, I feel like it's some kind of trap they're waiting to spring on me."

"Well, I know for a fact that these villagers won't harm you," Hinata said with conviction, hugging Naruto to show her support. "You are the kindest, most gentle, likable, fiancé a girl could wish for. If none of Konoha can see that, then they are truly blind and ignorant."

"Thanks Hinata," said Naruto, returning the hug. "It feels good knowing I have the most beautiful, generous, loving fiancée in the universe. Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong in the head."

The two of them stood there, enveloping the other in the hug. Some of the Hyuuga residents stopped to watch this public display of affection, and it made Hinata blush, as she was aware of their stares. Naruto chuckled, feeling her face get hot from the attention. And he thought HE had trouble with attention. While Naruto knew the two of them would overcome this issue of public attention, he knew that it would simply take time, something both of them had plenty of.

"Hello Hinata, what brings you to the estate?"

At that moment, Hiashi emerged from the back room, followed by a sweating Naruto clone. The clone, upon seeing the original, expelled itself, transmitting all of the knowledge it had gained from its short time on this planet.

"Father, good to see you," Hinata said joyfully, going over to hug her dad. For both of them, it felt weird to hug the other, as they were so unused to it. "Have you been well?"

"As good as I can get with everything that is going on…"

'What do you mean?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"Half of the Clan does not take well to Naruto for one," Hiashi remarked tiredly. "It's not surprising; they just can't seem to get over the fact that he is a container for the Fox Demon."

"Um Pops, do you mind calling him Ryu? He finds it tiring to be called the same thing that he has been for the last decade."

"Ryu? What are you talking about son?" Hiashi asked, confusion showing on his face.

Naruto didn't like to explain things more than once, so to make things easier, he led the two of them into a small room, and began to summon his least favorite friend from his cage.

"I'm going to warn you now Pops, don't do anything brash."

Hiashi, now confused more that he had been since the meteor incident, simply nodded, and Naruto continued.

"Now then…'Release unto the world your might, and let your roar reign supreme, Ryujimaru.'"

As the chakra began to cluster on Naruto's shoulder, Hiashi began to feel something ominous coming, and activated his Byakugan in defense. Hinata placed her hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to not worry. Reluctantly, the older man deactivated his bloodline, and continued to watch. As the ball of chakra finished expanding, it burst revealing the chibi version of the Nine-tailed Fox. It was all Hiashi could do not to lunge at the miniature Demon. The only thing that held him at bay was his loyalty to the Clan, and its leader, whose orders were not to do anything brash…like attack the small foxling.

"Ryu, meet Hiashi, my in-law," Naruto said, indicating the horrified man in front of him. "Pops, this is the 'Demon' that everyone fears so much. Right now, he has no power and follows my orders. That being said, Ryu, play nice or no ramen for you."

"_Whatever, but I want to eat soon, so let's get this over with._"

"I-It talks!"

"_Yeah, and so do you. But you don't see us acting all surprised at it, do you?_" Ryu retorted.

'Ryu, what did I just tell you,' Naruto said giving the foxling a hard stare.

"…_To play nice with the old man,"_ Ryu said, sulking.

Naruto nodded, saying "That's right. Now what do you say to Hiashi?"

"_Please! I refuse to degrade myself anymore than I already have! I'm leaving, and if any of you pissants need me, I'll be dragging Minato through the shopping district. Hehe, that never gets old!"_

Before Naruto got the change to argue back, Ryu jumped off his shoulder, and crawled into a hole in the floorboard. Naruto sighed, and Hinata just shook her head. Hiashi wasn't sure about what to make of his meeting with the Fox Demon.

"Th…That was the Demon?" He asked in a stupor.

Naruto shrugged while shaking his head. "Yup, the damn thing is almost as stubborn as me. But again, his name is Ryu now, so that's what he'll be called. Okay?"

"…Sure?" Hiashi said, still confused. "I think that I'm going to go lie down."

"Okay then," Hinata said happily, forgetting the event with Ryu. "I'll just take Naruto away for a bit Daddy."

"How long have you been calling him 'Daddy'?" Naruto whispered to his fiancé.

"I started that about two days after the incident at the district gates," Hinata said quietly.

"Alright then," Naruto said louder now. "I think we should head on out of here. There's nothing for us to do here yet."

Hinata nodded, and the two of them left the mansion with their arms linked together.

I.I.I

"Claude, I've had a change in plans," Sarutobi said to the ANBU captain.

After seeing the recent arrival of Simon and the other two, Sarutobi had been giving a lot of thought to that last plan involving the Oni-masked ninja. As it stood, destroying the team that Naruto was trying to build would not be wise. The time they would need to heal would cut back on training that could help them save the Elemental Countries, and possibly the universe if Viral was telling the truth.

"What have you in mind Hokage-sama?" the captain asked his leader.

"You are not to attack any of Naruto's friends. That wasn't wise on my part. You'll still join your brother's team, but that can wait until later today. For the moment, how are the retrievals coming along?"

Claude thought for a moment on all the messages he had seen over the last few days. He remembered one for the village of Suna, and he remembered the one about the Sannin.

"If I recall correctly, the Village Hidden in the Sand will be sending out a single team composing of three genin. Yes my lord, I know what you are thinking. I looked at their stats, and they are quite good. They have been on many missions, even a B-ranked mission, and never received a scratch. Deeper research revealed that a Demon resides within one of them. It would seem that they have a near perfect attack style with one being close- to mid-range, another that is mid- to long-range, and the one harboring the demon is good at all ranges. Even all of our best jounin at once would be hard pressed defeating these genin."

"Hmmm," Sarutobi said aloud. "What about the Sannin?"

"Jiraiya will be entering the town any day now, my lord. Tsunade is reluctant to return to Konoha, but I think I can manage something. As for Orochimaru…Well you know."

Sarutobi grimaced at the thought of his old disciple. He stared out the window, smoking his pipe, looking at the town he loved so much.

"Yes, I do. This is good news Claude. Now then, will you do me a favor?" 

"What is it you desire Hokage-sama?"

"I had talked with Viral, and it seems that he has more of those - gunmen I think – on the way to Konoha. You will be piloting one of these, so I've requested that a special one be transported here. But there is a catch. The only one that Viral could spare was a gunman that requires two pilots. I know you are close to the other captains, so you may choose who will be your partner. But choose quickly, as your training is to begin right away."

"Very well my lord. I shall choose…Akira."

Sarutobi looked at Claude for a minute. Was that really smart? Claude and Akira may be friends, but they had a tendency to heckle each other at the worst of times. The old man was sure that the Oni-masked ninja would choose Kenichi, the more capable of the two.

"Understood Claude. Now that we have taken care of the more important business, would you please open the door behind you? Our visitor is here."

Claude stood up and did as he was told. He was not expecting the person on the other side of the door.

"Hey Gramps, what's goin' on? Hey I remember you! You were at Simon's arrival."

The ANBU captain just stared at Naruto, confusion evident on his face. He was glad his mask had been on, or else everyone would have seen. When Claude regained his ability to move, he turned towards Sarutobi and stammered out a question.

"L-Lord Hokage! S-surely it is t-too soon for him to kn-know?"

"Claude, if everything is to be ready in time, we have to rush certain details. This is one of those things that must be taken care of quickly."

"Hey Gramps, what the hell are you two talking about? Who is this ugly ANBU?" Naruto asked the old man.

"Naruto all will be answered in a few minutes. But before that, we must relocate to a more…open area." Sarutobi said walking out the door. "Come; let's head over to the training grounds. Kurenai's field should be empty now."

I.I.I

Naruto wasn't sure what was going on at the moment. Earlier this morning, he had received a message from Sarutobi, asking him to stop by the Tower later in the day. He figured it was about the invasion and Naruto's plans, but when he got there he found the old man talking with an ANBU wearing some freaky mask. It was the same ANBU that had been at Simon's arrival. Naruto could recognize him by the swords and black trench coat

At the moment, Naruto was walking with the two of them down to the training grounds. He would've shunshined there, but he wasn't in a rush to go anywhere. You know what they say, 'Patience is a Virtue.'

As they approached the clearing, Naruto noticed the ANBU tense up, as if he could feel some ominous event coming. Naruto instinctively pulled a kunai from his pouch. Sarutobi noticed this, and signaled that there was no danger. The blonde returned his weapon to its pouch, but kept his guard up just in case. He could still punch the shit out of someone if they attacked.

As they neared the bank to the pond, Sarutobi turned to look at Claude and Naruto. He focused his attention on the older of the two, and nodded slowly, taking a puff on his pipe. The hesitation that followed told Naruto that whatever it was, he wasn't going to like it.

The strange ANBU turned towards him, and took a few steps back, just out of Naruto's reach and far enough away to dodge a quickly tossed kunai. Then the man removed his mask, and Naruto took a good look at his face. Brown hair stuck out from parts of his bandanna, giving him that 'fell-out-of-bed' look. He had shockingly blue eyes that reminded Naruto of someone else. He saw pain in these eyes, as though the guy was reliving some painful memory. His cheeks were slightly round, and for some reason, Naruto felt something strangely familiar about this man.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the ANBU called out. "It is good to finally talk to you, even if it is about something so serious. What I say here will change both our lives forever."

Naruto didn't like the sound of this. Whoever this guy was, he clearly had something important that involved just the two of them. But what the hell could it be? Naruto was racking his brain for an answer that it couldn't give.

"Just who ARE you?" Naruto asked the stranger. "I feel like I should know you from somewhere, but I can't put my mind on it."

The ANBU smiled, and began to chuckle to himself. Naruto was even more confused by this action. Was there something wrong in this guy's head? But if that was the case, Sarutobi wouldn't be here.

"I guess you could call me someone close. Truth be told, we have more in common than most people would think."

"What are you getting at?" Naruto said back, narrowing his fox-like eyes.

"_Master, his aura has the same glow as yours," _Nina called out in his head.

"_**That can't be right you supid pixie! No one can have the same aura as another person," **_Dinah retorted to her counterpart.

"_Easy you two. Let's hear what this guy has to say before we do anything."_

"What I'm getting at," the man said. "Is that we are of the same lineage…Naruto Uzumaki! I am your brother, Claude!"

Nruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. This ANBU-this…Claude…He was claiming to be Naruto's brother? Why had he heard nothing of this guy? Surely this was some sort of sick joke that the town was trying to play on him?

Naruto looked over at Sarutobi, expecting him to say something along the lines of: "Surprise! We got you good, didn't we?" But when he stared at the old man, Sarutobi just stared back, his eyes showing deep concern for Naruto, and telling the boy that Claude was telling the truth. They were brimming with tears, and Naruto could feel his own building up, catching in his throat. He turned to look back at the other guy, the one that claimed to be his brother. His eyes were flowing freely with tears. At that moment, Naruto KNEW it was no prank.

His fists clenched, shaking violently, Naruto walked over to his newly discovered brother. He was torn between doing two things: punching this guy square between the eyes, or grasping him in a hug. He stopped as he came within a foot of Claude. Lowering his head, Naruto began to speak, just barely audible.

"You're supposed to be my brother huh?"

"…"

"…Where the hell have you been?" Naruto said so quietly, looking up into his brother's deep blue, red-rimmed eyes. "I've been alone for so long…so long."

"Br-…Naruto, I understand how you feel…I had no idea myself until Hokage-sama told me. Had I known sooner, I would've-"

"What?" Naruto cried out, tears now pouring down his face and falling onto the ground. "What would you have done? I've been alone for twelve years now! TWELVE YEARS! It wasn't until Iruka-sensei came into my life that I truly had someone to talk to, to hang out with! And even then, he could only get so close! Yet all this time, you've been out there!"

Naruto reared back his fist, ready to smash Claude's head in. But at the last second, he found he couldn't do it. No matter how much he refused to accept it, Naruto had to. And no matter how much he hated the guy for not being there, Naruto just couldn't bring himself to do anything.

"All these years, and I had a brother just outside my door. I grew up thinking that I was an orphan, that everyone hated me BECAUSE I was an orphan. The only people to ever show me kindness before was Gramps and Iruka-sensei…How long have you known?"

"Ever since Hokage-sama declared it to the village. At the time, I was out on an assignment that sent me outside the village. Had I been there, I would've stood beside you, accepting my lineage with pride on my face and in my heart."

Naruto's face hardened, and he turned away, unable to face this man.

"You expect me to believe this shit? What do you take me for, some sort of kid that can't handle himself?"

"Naruto," Sarutobi said froma few feet away. "I had to keep your heritage secret. Had anyone gotten wind of this, there would have been attempts on both of your lives. I couldn't let that happen, no matter what. Your father's enemies would've been knocking down our doorstep, ripping out the throats of anyone that stood in their way. The only reason I felt is was safe to reveal the secret now was because you had so many people to bear the burden with you. You weren't as vulnerable as you once were just two weeks ago. In the short time that you've known Gimmy, Darry, and the others, you've blossomed into a ninja capable of anything."

"Dammit Gramps!" Naruto shouted, his heart torn into fragments smaller than dust. He felt so betrayed, that he couldn't think straight. "How could you think, that for even a SECOND, that I needed protection from some bastards with a grudge? I could've taken the punishment, if only I'd known that I wasn't alone in a world of people that hated me! I've had to fight tooth and nail to get just a fraction of everything a normal person has! Claude, what have you gone through?"

Claude wasn't sure how to answer the question. He had felt that his life had been normal enough, until Sarutobi had told him the truth. That day, Claude had left town, to escape everything and think about what he had been told. To know that he wasn't alone in the world had been dramatizing, if anything.

"Before I learned the truth, I had just assumed that my parents had died nobly on the field of battle, like true ninja. It was so different, to know what had REALLY happened. Up until that point, I had left a normal, modest life. A small apartment in the slums, taking classes with my two friends, becoming a genin…"

"…"

"Naruto, I know I wasn't there before, but I'm here NOW. I want to do all that I can to be the brother that I should've been from the start. I know that it must be hard, trying to accept all of this, but I swear by all that I stand for, this is the truth. I know you may not want to, but can you forgive me?"

Naruto was torn between anger and joy now. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he forgive the guy and give him a chance, or trn his back on him? Looking into his eyes, Naruto knew that there was only one thing he COULD do.

"I…I forgive you, my brother. But don't think this is over. I might be able to trust you in the future, but not now, not yet."

"I understand," Claude said, his eyes shining with a glimmer of hope. "I'll do everything I can to help and prove that I can be the brother that you can count on."

Sarutobi looked on with a smile. Knowing his work was done here, he began to walk away, back towards his office, and the giant paperwork he would have to fill out. He would've enjoyed staying with the two of them, to see what sort of day they would have, but no one likes to be a third wheel.

"Hey Gramps, where ya goin'?" Naruto called out. "The fun is just startin'!"

"I have too much paperwork to fill out Naruto," Sarutobi said, turning around and sighing. "Besides, you should be spending time with your closest family and friends right now. Go enjoy yourself today, there is no shame in taking a day off over a reunion like this."

"In that case," Naruto said walking over to the old man. "You SHOULD be joining us! You ARE family Gramps! Can't you make a shadow clone to do the work for you or something? Being cooped up in that office all day must be a real strain on your mental and social capabilities."

Sarutobi had to admit, the boy made a good point. He COULD make a shadow clone to do the work, which would leave him plenty of time to spend with his 'family'. Why hadn't HE thought of this?

"_I must be going senile in my old age,"_ Sarutobi thought to himself.

"Okay Naruto, you win. I'll join you in a few minutes. Where would you like to meet?"

Naruto thought for a moment on a good location for a large party to be held. Naruto's apartment was too small to hold everyone he wanted to join them, so that option was out. The training fields and clearing in the area were large enough, but they were difficult to find if you didn't know where to look or couldn't shunshin there. Then it struck Naruto like a brick to the head. The Hyuuga Mansion! It was easy to find, was QUITE large, had good scenery, and would be the perfect place to hold a party celebrating family!

"Got it," Naruto said aloud, hooking his thumbs in his black and orange pants. "How 'bout the Hyuuga residence?"

"Very well then, I shall see you there," Sarutobi said nodding, and walked away.

The two brothers smiled at each other, and headed on back to town, each one had their arm hooked over the other's shoulder.

I.I.I

"Hinata darling, I'm home! And I've brought good news!" Naruto called into his apartment.

Hinata poked her head out of the kitchen, wearing a 'Kiss the Cook' apron, which Naruto, naturally, began to do. After they finished that, Hinata noticed the strange man standing in the living room, checking out the décor. Naruto followed her eyes, and began to explain.

"Hinata, meet Claude. He's an ANBU captain, one of four, that specializes in swords and knives. He's 7 years older that me, a natural leader, top of his class, and has a unique fashion sense that could catch on. He's also my brother," Naruto finished.

Claude smiled and shook her hand politely. She was taken aback by his outgoing nature, and his strange appearance.

"That's nice," Hinata said with a smile. "So will he be joining us or…Wait…Did you say he's your BROTHER?"

"Yup," Naruto said happily, scratching at the back of his head. "Just found out today that I had one. Here I was, thinking that I was the only one going to get In-Laws, and the next thing I know, he opens the door to a whole new world for us!"

"I don't know if I'm all that special," Claude said kindly.

"He's also modest," Hinata whispered to her fiancé.

Naruto explained what was going on, and asked her to spread the word to their growing list of friends. Claude did the same, but just with his two friends. He said that Sarutobi would instruct them to join the cause as well. With than, the two of them headed over to the Mansion to wait for their guests.

As they arrived, they were greeted by Hiashi at the front door. He looked better after having rested for a good while, and smiled at them as they entered.

"Ah, it seems my son-in-law has arrived for a second time today," Hiashi said calmly. "To what do I owe this visit to?"

"Pops, it's time to hold a party!" Naruto said, flashing the older man a 'Gai Smile'. "Recently, I received news about someone that you might also find interesting."

"Oh? Do tell."

"This guy here," Naruto said indicating Claude, "Is my long lost brother that I never knew I had. What do you think about that? You get In-Laws out of me!"

"Impressive, my son. So, tell me about yourself," Hiashi asked, talking to the older of the brothers.

"Well," Claude began slowly, "My REAL name is Claude Uzumaki, as I recently discovered. I'm nineteen, an ANBU captain, and I specialize in swords and knives. I guess you can say that I'm a bit of a kid at heart, so I share that with my brother. I fight at close- to mid-range, using mostly wind jutsus. Other than that, there isn't much to reveal about myself."

"Hmm," Hiashi said, thinking to himself. "You're an ANBU captain? That means you have at least three elemental affinities. What are they?"

"My personal affinities are Wind, Lightning, and Earth. My friends, the other captains, have the remaining elements, making us an effective team."

"I see," Hiashi said calmly. "Well then, I guess it's time to set up that party you requested…Steve!"

The called for Hyuuga stepped out from a room down the left hall, and calmly strode over to the group.

"You called my lord?"

"Yes, gather a small group of ten and organize a party for the arrival of my newest son. There will be amny people here, only the closest to Naruto may join, so begin the décor here in the lobby. Also, instruct my secretary that I will be taking a temporary leave, and that she is to hold all my calls."

"Very well then, my lord."

"He seems…different." Naruto poined out.

"Yes, I had him undergo mental rehab about two days ago. Since everyone had difficult understanding him, I figured it would be best this way."

"Nice plan Pops. That will definitely make things easier. Now it's time to enjoy this party," Naruto said with a smirk.

I.I.I

The party had been an interesting event. It started off good, but soon after it became a mess of things. At first, everyone arrived in pairs of two and three. Simon came with Yoko and Leeron. Viral came with Gimmy and Darry, feeling like a third wheel. Kiba came in with Tenten, Kurenai came with Kakashi close behind her, and Shino came with Akira and Ken. Even Shikamaru made it, still leaning on a crutch. Anko was standing near the bar, asking the bartender what his strongest drink was. The only ones unaccounted for were Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Neji, Lee, Choji, and the Blue Bastard: Sasuke.

Looking around the room, Naruto was surprised to find Neji and Lee there, talking with their sensei. How had he missed seeing them enter? Then Naruto heard a loud commotion over at the buffet table, and knew Choji was there without having to even glance in that direction. Naruto was afraid he might encounter three if he searched for them, but he did so anyway, looking for a certain girl that was close to him. He saw Ino, unfortunately, but she looked like she would play nice for once. So long as Sasuke didn't show up, he knew there would be no trouble from her.

At this, Naruto smirked. He had specifically mentioned to the bouncer not to let a certain chicken-butt-haired, emo boy onto Hyuuga grounds. There would be no depressing people here, at an event that celebrated a momentous occasion.

"So Claude, what do you think?" Naruto asked his older brother. He liked the sound of that, older brother. It made him finally feel like he truly had someone, other than Hinata, that he could truly connect with on a more personal level. "Not bad for a welcoming party, eh?"

"I think you spoil me, little brother," Claude said embarrassed. It felt akward, being treated so kindly.

"Don't like being the center of attention?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Hehe. Man, I have the weirdest brother."

"As do I," Claude said jokingly, grinning at his younger sibling.

The two of them laughed until the firsts of the guests came over to them. Naruto recognized Shikamaru instantly, and for some strange reason, Claude tensed up as he approached. The younger brother looked into the older one's eyes to see a touch of fear, which quickly dissipated. What was all that about.

"Hey Naruto, how's training with Kurenai-sensei?" The lazy genin asked.

"It's fine Shikamaru. Have you met Claude? Turns out he's my older brother."

"Claude? I didn't realize you were Naruto's brother!" Shikamaru exclaimed uncharacteristically.

Neither did I, until recently," The ANBU captain said cooly.

"Wait," Naruto said disbelievingly. " You two actually DO know each other?"

"Claude here came by one day after my unfortunate fight with that ANBU captain. He told me that he was a friend of yours so I assumed that you had snet him."

At the mention of the fight, Naruto saw Claude tense up even more. What was he not telling them. And a couple other things Shikamaru had said disturbed him.

"That can't be right Shikamaru. I only found out about Claude today. But one other thing you just said concerns me. You said he was an ANBU captain? Well, Claude is one as well.""

At this, Shikamaru's eyes widened, then hardened. The two of them turned to the now sweating ANBU. His eyes were darting about, looking for all the escape routes most likely. Then a terrible thought struck Naruto in the chest.

"Claude," Naruto said, struggling to find the right words. "What are you not telling us?"

"I-um…Uh…I think I hear Akira calling for me," Claude stammered. "I think I'll just-"

"Don't try that shit with me 'older brother'!" Naruto spat out, using the term as an insult. " I have enhanced hearing right now. She's giving Shino advice right now. I didn't hear her call you at all, so how could you?"

"Hold on a second Naruto," Shikamaru said. He glared at Claude for a few seconds. Then he finally spoke out. "I thought those eyes looked familiar! I saw these sam eyes stare at me through that demon mask my attacker wore! Naruto, your brother is the ANBU that attacked me!"

I.I.I Author's Notes I.I.I

"Woo! Spring break! Sorry if I take too long on these chapters people. I have a demanding family as well as school, so I find little time to write this tale. Now that I have a week off though, I'll be devoting much more time to releasing the next chapter. Once Summer rolls around though, that's when the story will REALLY pick up.

"On a different note, I'm also considering writing another story. How many of you know about the series 'Warriors' by Erin Hunter? For those of you that don't know the story, it's about these group of cats that live in the wild, guided only by a code and a firm belief that their ancestors are watching them. I can't explain it very well myself, but I would suggest checking it out if you can.

"Anyways, I'm going to be making a fan fiction crossover between Naruto and Warriors. It seems to be something no one has done before (Trust me, I checked.). Keep your eyes open for it. Until then, here is a sneak peek at, 'The Forgotten Prophecy'!"

**The Forgotten Prophecy**

Prologue 1: The Warning From Above

The wind blew endlessly through the open moorland, carrying a scent of rabbits…and blood. At the base of a tall hill, lies a group of cats, their eyes clouded with worry. Their pelts glittered dully, and shined with the brightness of weak starlight. All around them, their friends and family that still clung to life were fleeing the home they had shared for longer than any cat could remember, chased out by those of a different Clan. This enraged the cats, that these attackers would break the Warrior Code, the rules laid out to guide the Clans down the path of truth and justice, set down long before any of those present could remember.

"Curse those RiverClan bastards!" cried out a light brown tabby tom. His fur bristling in anger. "How DARE they! Driving another Clan from it's home! Why, If I were there I'd-"

"WHAT? What would you do, Reedfeather?" retorted a pinkish gray she-cat. "Do you think that one cat would make a difference against those RiverClan warriors?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try Heatherstar!" growled Reedfeather. "What would you do? Try to TALK with Crookedstar? That arrogant piece of fox dung would just laugh at you, then carve you down to nothing! He has no honor!"

"Enough you two!" hissed a mottled dark brown tom. His yellow eyes bore through them life claws of steel. "It matters not what we would do, it matters only to those that live. Being that we are warriors of StarClan now, and not of WindClan, we cannot interfere in these matters.."

Both Heatherstar and Reedfeather looked taken aback to see the small, gentle tom show such anger. Usually medicine cats were separate from Clan rivalries, sharing all their wisdom and abilities with those that needed it most. Both cats let their fur lay flat on their backs before padding over to the tom. The she-cat was the first to speak.

"You are right Hawkheart. We must not fight amongst ourselves if we are to help our old Clan make it through this time of evil. I apologize Reedfeather."

"As do I, my old leader. No sense in us getting caught up during such a time of strife. Hawkheart, what do you suggest we-"

"Shh!" the small cat hissed. "I feel something. I…I see it. The white and red ones will join, and there will be much turmoil in the forest. Yet in the end, no one will know the truth."

"Hawkheart, what do you mean?" asked Heatherstar.

The dark brown cat turned to her, his eyes shining with knowledge and wisdom. At that moment, the old leader of WindClan knew that the medicine cat had learned of a prophecy. As he spoke, she heard not only his voice, but the voices of many cats.

"_Three of two will join together, and end the life of one. The forest will quake to its roots, and yet those that remain will forget."_


	19. Chapter 19

**THE UZUMAKI BRIGADE**

"Naruto," Shikamaru exclaimed. "Your brother is the ANBU that attacked me!"

After FINALLY having a chance to be accepted, Claude had been revealed as Shikamaru's attacker. Everyone in the room gasped, save for the adults. It was common for these ninja to see deception, so they didn't react as much.

"I….I can…God I hate my life," Claude said, cursing his terrible luck. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Was there really a God watching over them? And if so, did he have some personal vandetta against the ANBU captain. "I have a good reason for-"

"Stow it, bastard!" Naruto said, his eyes betraying the hurt he was feeling at the moment. "There is nothing you can say that can justify what you have done! I can't believe that I'm related to a piece of trash like you!"

Hinata, who had arrived moments ago, had caught the last part of the conversation, where Shikamaru had accused the older ninja. She gave him a worried look, as if she wasn't entirely sure what to think of things, then hurried over to her now shaking fiancé. Placing her arms around his body to help calm him, she spoke softly into his ear.

"Naruto-kun, I think he deserves a chance to explain. Don't forget, we ARE ninja. We have to see beyond the surface and learn the truth."

"Hinata," Naruto said shakily. "I want to trust him, I really do. But I don't think there is anything that can be said to clear away my doubts."

"…Naruto-kun."

"Hinata," Claude said at last. "I can't force him to see things differently. If he feels that strongly against me, than he has every right to do so. I want to explain why I did what I did…but I know that none of you will believe me. Hell, _I_ wouldn't believe me! That being said, I know I won't be welcome. So I think I'll spare everyone the trouble, and leave."

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Claude shunshined out of the mansion, and left for who know where. He knew that there was no way Naruto would accept him as family now, so with a heavy heart, he set out for the one place that he could be alone…

I.I.I

Back at the Hyuuga mansion, people were beginning to break off into groups to gossip about what just happened. Before they even got a chance to let a single word out, Akira stomped up to Naruto, and punched him…HARD…in the face. He went flying back about twenty feet, then hit the floor and skidded another ten feet.

"What kind of brother ARE you?" She shouted at the blonde. "Someone accuses him of something, and you don't even give him a chance to explain? Do you think he WANTED to attack that lazy asshole? HELL NO! If you had given him a chance, you'd have known that he was ordered to do what he did! If he had been given a choice, he would've declined within a heartbeat!"

Everyone was silent as Akira shouted at Naruto. Hinata, while angry that someone would hit her beloved Naruto, simply stood there, knowing that the ANBU girl was right if she had been a good judge of character. And she was, considering that she had taken a liking to Naruto. Akira continued to shout down the boy, letting all her anger show at the unfairness of the situation.

"You called him a piece of trash, and said you couldn't believe you were related to him. All his life, Claude has been looking for someone to accept him, and the moment someone does, you just give up on him! If you ask me, YOU'RE the piece of trash! I feel sorry for him, knowing that his only living family member is such an inconsiderate doushe! I guess all those rumors about the 'Fox Container' were true!"

Naruto cringed at her words, which struck so deep, he was amazed he wasn't actually bleeding from her sharp tongue. He also knew that what she said was the truth, which hurt him even more. Finding that all the strength had left his arms, Naruto let his head fall to the floor. He laid there, clutching his left cheek where Akira had punched him.

The guests, which had been silent this entire time, slowly filed out of the building. They left to go home, and hoped to forget this awful night. There would be no gossip, no rumors, just unpleasant memories of what happened. As the last of them filed out, Sarutobi walked over to the blonde genin.

"Naruto," Sarutobi began. "I'm afraid Akira is right. Claude was under orders to attack your team I apologize for the misunderstading."

Naruto slowly got up, and glared at the older shinobi. His eyes narrowed into slits, and he spoke low and calmly.

"Old Man, don't you DARE call this a misunderstanding!" Naruto was seething with anger. His voice carried so much distain, Sarutobi was afraid the blond might release the large Ryu upon him to exact his revenge. "My only family, and you ordered him to attack us! What kind of man does that? Do you think we are from the Village Hidden in the Mist? You have ruined the one shred of trust I had in him by doing this!"

Naruto stormed off, Hinata close behind. She gave Sarutobi once last apologetic glance before rounding a corner with the blonde. He sighed, and slowly walked out the building. What a terrible way to end the night. How was he to make amends for such an action? His head hung low, Sarutobi dragged himself home to cry himself to sleep…again.

I.I.I

Leaning against the wall of the tower on the outer wall of Konoha, Claude was watching the half-moon set over the mountains. To lose what little you had in a family, it had nearly propelled Claude to suicide. Instead, he had chosen to go to the one place no one ever disturbed him. On nights like these, the walls were patrolled a bit less, so that meant Claude wouldn't have to explain why he was standing at the first line of defense against invaders. He let out a sigh, and felt his eyes water at the thought of what his brother had said.

"God, do you delight in watching my family suffer?" The young ANBU asked the sky. "Are we just some sort of cruel joke?"

Knowing the sky wouldn't answer him back, Claude nearly fell off the ledge he was on when he heard a voice behind him.

"Claude, you are not a joke."

When the ANBU captain regained his ability to move, he turned around to see another friend of his, Katsumi Misaki, standing there, looking at him with eyes that showed deep concern for him. Her normally blue jumpsuit glowed silver in the moolight, and her long golden hair that fell down to her waist shone white. Her bow, which was always strapped to her back, looked black in the night, making it seem like it wasn't there. Her blue eyes made Claude feel like he could trust her with anything.

"Oh, hi Katsumi." Claude said sadly, and turned back to the moon. "How did you know where to find me?"

"Call it a hunch," The other captain said. "When it comes to my friends, I'm always the one they talk to. So what's troubling you Claude?"

"…It's Naruto. He's rejected me as his family, so now, I have no one."

"Not true!" Katsumi cried out, surprising Claude. "You always have…me."

She turned her head away from Claude, and blushed deeply. Since she was a little girl, Katsumi had always felt something for Claude, but had never had a chance to confess to him. In the twelve years that she had known him, she had always come close to revealing how she felt for the guy, but every time, something had come between them.

At first, she thought it had been Akira, but then Katsumi found out she didn't care about Claude like that. But she knew that Claude liked Akira, which had severely crushed her spirits. Yet she prevailed, and has been trying to let him know. She knew that tonight would be the night she told Claude how she felt. It felt almost right, the two of them alone under the half-moon.

"Katsumi," Claude said quietly. "What do you mean?"

"I, um…It's just….Well I…"

Katsumi turned back to Claude to find him staring deeply into her eyes. She would have loved to stare into their depths foever, but she had to tell him. She was so close already. She just had to get the words out.

"Claude…Wh-what would y-you say if I were to…"

"Katsumi," Claude said slowly and calmly. "What is it you want to tell me? Don't be afraid. I won't laugh or say something hurtful. You can trust me."

"I-I know Cl-Claude," she stammered. And th-that's why I f-feel I c-can say this."

Katsumi paused to catch her breath. She looked into Claude's eyes once more, and found the courage to contine speaking, this time without stammering.

"Claude…I love you. For as long as I can remember, I've had these unexplainable feelings towards you. I see you in my dreams, and I know that if there is anyone for me, it would be you. Oh, please don't hate me!"

Claude was silent for a minute, processing what Katsumi just said. He had read enough love stories in the public library to know that any sudden actions or careless word would drive her into a fit of sorrow and misery. Slowly, he collected his thoughts to begin forming a reply.

While he did feel something towards Akira, she never seemed to get any closer to him. And he had known the shy, Katsumi for just as long as the crazy Akira. He had once felt something weird when he was talking with her, something that he could not explain. When Katsumi had left the room, he had felt somewhat empty inside, and had began searching for an answer. Now he had it, and it made sense to him. Claude felt something towards Katsumi!

"Katsumi…I-…I too, feel something for you. How could I ever hate you?"

He reached over, and placed his hand on hers. She looked from it, to his eyes, and back. She wasn't sure if it was a dream right now. The boy she had loved for years had just confessed to her as well? Katsumi had almost fainted from the system overload she was experiencing.

"Oh Claude! I….I…" Katsumi found herself breathless.

"Shhh…No need to talk," Claude said quietly, placing his index finger over her mouth to silence her. "Let's just enjoy the beauty of the natural world…and each other's company."

Katsumi wrapped her hands around his and leaned on him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He placed his head on hers, and the two looked up at the moon. They gasped as they saw streaks of color arc across the sky.

"Wow," Katsumi said, breathless. "A lunar rainbow."

"I didn't realize that was even possible." Claude said, stunned.

"Let's stay here all night," Katsumi suggested.

"Okay then, whatever you want." Claude agreed. "But it seems a little chilly out. Here, take my coat."

Taking his black trench coat off, he wrapped it around Katsumi, and placed his arm around her, breathing in her sweet scent of rose. The two stayed that way for the rest of the night, forgetting all of their worries, at least for now. Whatever situations arised could wait until morning, when the two of them were ready to go back to town. Claude and Katsumi hugged each other, and enjoyed the beauty of the lunar rainbow, eventually falling asleep on the tower.

I.I.I

Back at Naruto's apartment, Hinata was trying to think of a way to help Naruto trust his brother. Since he knew what had REALLY happened, that would make her job a bit easier. But right now, he was still trying to overcome the initial shock of the whole event. Hinata knew that she had to convince her mate before he snapped out of it, or else it would take forever for the two brothers to get past this ordeal.

"I'm just not sure what to think Hinata," Naruto said, still pacing around the living room. "Gramps said that he ordered Claude to do it, but if Claude truly cared, he would've held back at least, right?"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered soothingly into his ear. "As ninja, we must follow our orders. Your brother is no different. He takes his job seriously, and so, he does it the way he is supposed to. Besides, think about it like this. Claude is an ANBU right?" Naruto nodded. " That means he probably could've killed Shikamaru if he had wanted to. But he didn't, did he? That means he WAS holding back."

Naruto looked up into Hinata's eyes, and nodded, knowing that she was right. But that still left the most unpleasant part of this event…the confrontation.

"You're right Hinata," Naruto said, grabbing his swords. "I feel better, at least a bit, knowing this. Thanks. How did I ever live without you before?"

"I don't know," Hinata said, blushing. "Maybe just dumb luck?"

"Probably," Naruto said back. "C'mon, lets go find my brother. Me and him need to settle this.

"What do you intend to do Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as the two of them walked out the door.

"Simple, my sweet." Naruto said looking back at her. His eyes gave everything away. "I'm going to find my brother, and I'm going to challenge him to a duel."

I.I.I

Back at the wall, Claude was just waking up. He looked up at the sky, and noticed the sun cresting over the horizon. He wondered what had possessed him to sleep outside in the cold night, when he felt a warm breath on his chest. He looked down to find blonde hair resting on his shoulder. He would've cried out, but he noticed it was Katsumi, his shy friend from the Academy.

It was at that moment that he recalled everything that happened the night before. The talk with Naruto, the party, the confession to Katsumi…It had happened so fast! Now that he had a moment to catch his breath, Claude could think clearly. It was a nice, cool day, and he had a beautiful girl to share it with. Sure, he would have to see his brother again some day, and he would have to join that team Naruto was forming. But today, he just wanted to relax, and spend it with the one person that ACTUALLY cared about him. Akira, who was she? She didn't give a damn about Claude. And Ken was cool, but he had his own life to live. Claude's brother hated him, and most likely everyone associated with Naruto did as well.

No, the only person that actually cared about Claude was Katsumi, the beautiful ANBU captain that was resting on his shoulder. Today, it would be about her, and no one else.

"_I guess this is what love is like?" _Claude thought to himself. _"I wonder what I should do with her today…I could always take her somewhere nice. There is that resort a few miles out of town…Yeah, that's perfect!"_

At that moment, Katsumi began to stir, and looked up at Claude. As he looked into her eyes, which shone with a brilliant innocence, Claude knew that everything would be fine, so long as Katsumi was there at his side. He knew he could conquer any army, accomplish any feat, take on the whole of the universe if she was beside him.

"Good morning Katsumi," Claude said quietly. "Sleep well?"

"Cl-Claude," Katsumi stammered. "Where…Where am I?"

"At the tower on the outer wall of Konoha, remember? Last night, we…well we told each other how we feel…and…" Claude stopped, a blush starting to show on his face.

As Katsumi recalled last night, a blush appeared on her face as well. She turned away in embarrassment, and began to enjoy the memory. She was with Claude! It had taken her many years, but she finally had been able to confess.

"_I wonder what will happen…"_ Katsumi though to herself. _"Will we enjoy a long life together? Will we have children to succede us, and carry on our family name? Will we…Oh wow, I can't believe myself! It hasn't even been a full day and I'm thinking silly thoughts like this._"

"Well, I'm with you," Katsumi finally said aloud. "And I couldn't ask for more."

She rested her head on Claude's shoulder again, and sighed happily. Claude gave a big grin, and placed his arm over her shoulder. Whatever happened, it would be interesting, so long as they were together. After a couple minutes of watching the morning sun climb over the horizon, the two captains got up and began the trek back into town, to commission a day off. Before they even made it back into town, a Naruto clone jumped down from a tree, and called out to them.

"You there," the clone shouted. "Claude, stop!"

"Naruto? What are you doing here?' Claude asked his brother curiously.

"Looking for you." The copy replied. "Can you wait for a minute, the original Naruto needs to talk with you."

"The original?..Oh right! You learned the Shadow Clone jutsu from the Forbidden Scroll!" Claude said remembering the file he had read on his brother.

"Yup!" The fake replied. "He Shadow Spammed the whole town and spent the whole damn night looking for you."

"Shadow Spammed?" Katsumi asked curiously.

"He basically created about two armies of clones, and sent them out over the town in a rush," Naruto explained. Then he looked at Katsumi carefully. "Who're you? I've never seen your face before."

"Naruto," Claude began. "Meet Katsumi Misaki, the fourth ANBU captain, and a personal friend of mine. She's a skilled bow user, and my girlfriend."

At that last comment, both Katsumi and Claude blushed lightly. It took Naruto a minute to catch on, since he was still slow in the love department. When he finally did, he smiled and turned away. A second later he 'poofed' and the original stood where the clone had been.

"Congrats. I'm happy for you…It's such a shame that I have to do this then…" Naruto said, looking down at his feet.

Claude didn't like the what Naruto said. And judging by the look in his eyes before he lowered his head, it wasn't going to be pleasant. Claude stepped forward, and placed his hands on the daggers at his waist.

"Do WHAT…Naruto?" Claude challenged. "What are you talking about?"

"Claude," Naruto said calmly. "You know very damn well what I'm talking about."

Naruto looked up, a fire in his eyes, and unsheathed his swords. Claude saw the nodaichi, and gaped at the details on the blade. It was a work of art! The blade on the right was shining with a brilliant white color, while the one on the left was pitch black, and Claude felt like he would be sucked into it if he wasn't careful. Both swords sported a tribal pattern from the guard to the tip of the blade that was in the color of the opposite blade. The guard itself curbed down in front of the hilt. They were very impressive swords to say the least.

"Claude Uzumaki!" Naruto shouted at his brother, pointing the black blade at him. "Fight me, NOW!

"Naruto, I will not fight you." Claude said calmly. "I just want to spend the day with Katsumi."

"Claude," Katsumi said quietly. "I think…you need to do this. D-Don't worry about me"

"But I-…Katsumi, are you sure? I mean…Is this really a good idea?"

"Go ahead Claude," she said quietly, still a bit shy towards her love. "The only way to overcome this is to face it head on."

"I…"Claude murmured. "Okay…Okay Naruto, you got a fight! Show me what you can do, 'Little Brother'!"

Naruto charged at the ANBU captain, both swords drawn back for a cross-slash. As he swung, Claude jumped back, and unsheathed his daggers, holding them upside down. He dashed at his brother, and turned in a 360* circle, bringing his knife in for a slash. Naruto ducked and kicked out with his legs, tripping the older shinobi. Claude rolled backwards with the momentum, and jumped up, tossing three kunai as he descended.

Naruto easily dodged them, grinning as they flew by harmlessly. Then he noticed a small glint, and saw wires attached to the kunai. They curled around him, tying him down. As he struggled to cut the wires, Claude formed a single handsign, and extended one hand towards Naruto in a sweeping motion.

The wind around Naruto began to blow violently, and condensed in certain areas. A few of them came at Naruto with insane speed. It was all he could do to dodge them, and even then the attack grazed him in a few places. Naruto cried out in pain, and continued writhing about on the ground. He saw another piece of condensed air charge at him, and he rolled a little away from it. As the wind blew by him, the edges tore at the wires, and released him from his restraints.

Now free, Naruto formed his favorite handsign and cried out some of his favorite words:

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"

The area was engulfed in white smoke, and when it cleared, there were about five hundred Naruto clones surrounding the older ANBU captain. Claude looked around for a hint of which one might be the real one. Since they all looked EXACTLY alike, there was no way to tell. One of them shouted a battle cry, and the whole horde of clones charged at the lone ANBU.

Claude jumped up, and landed on a clone. He kicked off of that one, gaining impressive aerial distance, and dispelling the stepping stool at the same time. Claude formed a handsign that was very familiar to Naruto, and calmly said the words that were also familiar.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu," Claude said.

The sky darkened as hundreds of Claude copies rained down on the blonde ones, making the clearing look like a true battlefield. Smoke began to appear everywhere. Eventually, it came down to two of each, with the original defeating the other's clone. Both brothers stood there, gasping for air. Naruto, who hadn't much practice with his swords, felt his arms sag with exhaustion. Claude, who had been using his knives the entire time, felt no such strain on his arms. That, and he has had years of experience with bladed weapons.

"I'll give you credit Naruto," Claude called out to his brother. "I really wasn't expecting you do this good. Looks like Lord Hokage and Kurenai have been training you well."

"Yeah," the blonde called back. "They certainly did a good job, didn't they. I learned quite a bit from them. But I'm afraid you won't like what one of the things that I learned…"

"Well don't keep it to yourself! Show me what you're holding back!" Claude shouted.

"Heh," Naruto smirked. "You're ALREADY seeing it, brother!"

Claude's eyes grew wide as he heard this, and instinctively he performed a release. A second too late though, as he felt a gash in his side shoot pain throughout his body. Naruto had used a genjutsu to catch Claude off-guard, something the older ANBU should've expected since the blonde's jounin instructor was a master of that style. Claude made about five more clones, something that was now getting exhausting, and had them continue the assault. He himself decided to perform his OWN genjutsu, just to trick up his little brother.

Naruto continued to thrash around as his clones backed away. The jutsu made Naruto see about a hundred more clones blanketing the area, each charging at him. Claude and his now three copies backed into the trees, knowing that in a few seconds Naruto would make more clones. As expected, the clones appeared.

Claude backed into the trees more, and willed his few clones to start picking them off, except for one, which would help layer the genjutsu deeper to keep Naruto trapped. He tossed a few kunai at his now tired brother, and timed it with the jutsu to make it seem like a clone had struck him. It worked as expected, when Naruto struck at empty air 'where the clone was'.

"Enjoying yourself, 'big brother'?"

Claude jumped at the voice, which had come from behind him. Instinctively, he withdrew a kunai and lashed out at what he thought was Naruto, only to strike air, like his brother in the field was. He felt a gash in his leg open up, and realized what was going on. When Naruto had 'made his clones', he had actually placed a wide area genjutsu and released himself from Claude's. That being said, when Claude had thrown the kunai and not moved to a new position, it was a beacon to his location.

Naruto had then snuck up on his brother and struck him. It was a good, plan, but Claude could release as well, if not better. Claude formed a special handsign, and pushed out a decent portion of his remaining chakra. The jutsu was developed for releasing multiple layers of genjutsu. Since it is such a powerful jutsu though, it consumes a large amount of chakra.

"_Shit,"_ Claude thought to himself. _"I don't have much left in me. I know he probably has a good amount left, thanks to that blasted Fox Demon! I've got to end this…fast!"_

"Hey Claude!" Naruto called out from the field. "How about we wrap this up?"

Claude didn't like the sound of that at all! It sounded like Naruto had some secret weapon that he could use on the ANBU captain. Before he had gotten a chance to decline (if one could), he heard Naruto shout something.

"Release your might upon the world, and let your roar reign supreme! RYUJIMARU!"

The ground began to shake violently, and Claude heard a roar sound from close by. He looked out of the trees to see a three-story tall Fox Demon standing in the field, his wild eyes surveying the area. Claude nearly shit himself at the sight. The Demon turned it's eyes on him, and attempted to charge at the ANBU captain. Before it got the chance though, A large tether around it's neck pulled it to the ground. Claude looked over at the origin to see Naruto standing there, holding the other end like a leash.

"Ryu, control yourself!" Naruto shouted at the Fox Demon, walking over to it. "I'm telling you now, you are NOT- the keyword is NOT- to kill! You got me?"

The large demon nodded, and stood up. He charged at Claude, who had now regained enough control to move his legs. He jumped over the demon's face, and landed on it's back. He unsheathed his two swords, and drove them into the demon's back. The katanas bounced off harmlessly. Claude wasn't fazed though, and turned towards the tails…all nine of them…each capable of crushing him to nothingness…within a second…WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?

Before he chickened out, Claude charged at the tails, and swung both of his blades. Unbelievably, they cut through three of them like it was butter. The Fox let out a screech, and fell to the ground, weakened from the pain. All of his power was stored there, so if a tail was lost, he lost a large chunk of energy at the same time. To lose a THIRD of your total energy at once? Try dragging Choji into a gym and you'll get the same tiring feeling, just instead of blood from your ass, you get black eyes and a giant fist to the stomach.

"Ryu," Naruto called out. "Shit, I need to get you inside before Hinata gets here, or else…RYU, RETURN!"

The Fox Demon 'poofed' and Claude fell to the ground, thoroughly confused. As he landed on his ass, he heard Naruto talk to himself.

"Damn," He was saying. "That was close. If Hinata had been here to see that, Claude would most likele be about eighty feet under right now. I'm suddenly glad she hadn't been with me when that clone contacted me.

"Naruto, what the hell? Did you really just summon the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon to attack me?" Claude shouted incredulously at his brother.

"Yup!" Naruto said with a wicked gleam in his eye. "I wanted to see what he could do, as well as what you would do when faced with a considerably less powerful version of the legend that everyone fears so much. Also, the Fox Demon prefers to be called Ryu…So yeah."

"…"

"What? I told him not to kill you!" Naruto said when he noticed his brother glaring at him. "Do you want him to kill you next time? I can tell him so if you want!…No Ryu, I'm not letting you eat his soul! Do I have to send you to a psychologist? I know a guy!"

Considerably disturbed now, Claude clutched his head and turned away. He began to walk over to Katsumi, who was waiting with her bow still drawn. Her eyes gave away how conserned she had been with him. Then she ran over to Claude and glomped him, shouting about how worried she was and that he should never do something so reckless again.

Knowing full well that the whole event wasn't over yet, Claude gave Katsumi a gentle hug, and walked back to his brother. He gripped his dented swords tighter, and gave his brother a look that said, 'I've seen everything you've got, and I'm still standing'.

Naruto still had a decent amount of chakra left, as most of the fight he had been pulling off of Ryu and Dinah. Now that Ryu was injured, and his power slashed to a fraction, Naruto had only his original meager reserve of chakra, and whatever Dinah felt like sharing. He knew he could make maybe twenty more clones before he was done. So he did just that. The look on his brother's face…priceless.

Claude couldn't believe his brother! He still had the chakra capacity to make twenty clones? He figured he himself had about three more left in him, and then he'd be totally empty. He forced the clones out, each one looked at tired as the original felt. The same could be said of Naruto's clones.

"Huff…Huff…So," Claude said tiredly. "It comes…down to this. You're not *huff*…hiding anything…are you?"

"As if *huff*!" Naruto gasped out. "Ryu…*huff*…was my ace. *huff*"

The clones stared each other down, and the clearing was dead silent. Katsumi stared at Claude, worried about what might happen. In the trees, Hinata had just shown up to catch what looked like the end to the fight. She had wanted to be there to talk her fiancé out of this, but she knew that Naruto was stubborn.

Finally, the Naruto clones weakly charged at the Claude clones, which used their swords to chop down six each. The original Naruto tossed a few kunai at the remaining copies of his brother, dispelling them instantly. The two originals gave one last burst of energy, and dashed at each other. They reared back their fists, and slammed it into the other brother at the exact same moment. They stayed there for a few seconds, their fists in each other's face. Eventually, both of their legs gave in to the tiredness, and they both collapsed. As they laid there on the cold grass covered in morning dew, Claude began to laugh. Naruto started to as well eventually, and the two of them laughed until their voices were sore as well.

Hinata and Katsumi looked at the boys they had fallen in love with, and shook their heads. Katsumi walked over to Claude, kneeled down, and began to release chakra through her hands. Hinata walked over to Katsumi, and began to chat with her.

"You know medical jutsu?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Yeah," Katsumi sighed, happy that Claude hadn't died in the fight. She had been worried when Ryu stormed the field. She had no idea what she would've done if Claude had lost his life in a fight, with his brother of all people! "I felt it would be necessary in the event something happened to Claude. It's a good thing I did learn to heal too."

As they talked, Naruto and Claude had passed out. It took the two girls a minute to realize that their breathing had become soft and slow. Since they were out, Hinata decided to learn more about this person that cared about Claude.

"You really like him, don't you? Hinata asked. "Are you and Claude…you know?"

Katsumi caught on to what Hinata said, and blushed deeply. She looked at the Hyuuga heiress, and felt a need to tell her everything. Katsumi didn't really talk with any girls when she was younger, so she had all this pent up anger, sadness, and other unpleasant feelings. Without realizing it, Katsumi began to tell Hinata her life story.

"I've known Claude since we were in the Academy. Back then, it was just a little crush, I'm sure you've had one." Hinata nodded, and Katsumi continued. "I sat next to him in class every day, I was so shy, I could barely say anything. But I listened to him, and hung over his every word. 'One day, they'll respect me for who I am, Katsumi! I'll show everyone that I can go the distance!'…I'd listen to him tell me his dreams, his goals, anything he wanted to say, I'd sit there and listen all day if I could. Then I noticed Claude was hanging out with Akira frequently. I originally dismissed it as him and another friend. Then I noticed the look in his eyes, and I lost myself. I just…gave up, and tried to move on, but found it impossible to do that."

Hinata couldn't believe her ears. This girl had basically told Hinata about her OWN life story! Hinata reached out, and placed a knowing, caring hand on Katsumi's shoulder. The ANBU captain looked into her eyes, and saw herself reflected in them. The two embraced each other, and Katsumi continued.

"After Genin teams were assigned, I found myself in Gai-sensei's cell with two genin that were already in love. I didn't think it was possible to be in love while still so young. I found myself thinking back to Claude, and I…I felt so angry!" Katsumi said quietly, her eyes flaring. "I vented every time I trained, did missions, and it got the job done. My teammates were stunned at how efficient I was, and how I left them in the dust. Gai-sensei noticed, and recommended I become an ANBU. I followed through with it, and on that first day of class…I found myself back at the Academy. Sitting next to me was Claude, and he had acted like no time had passed. We talked sometimes, and every time, I got ever closer to confessing…But I could never do it."

Katsumi found herself breathless. She began to sob, and Hinata began to soothe her with what she had learned from all her years of talking with the other Hyuuga girls. Katsumi calmed down, and eventually regained her composure. As she continued the story, Hinata thought the ANBU captain looked a bit happier.

"Soon after class began, I found out that Akira didn't have any feelings for Claude. It made me feel…like I had a chance again. But it seemed like God enjoyed watching me struggle, because soon after, I found out that Claude did feel something…towards Akira. It hurt so bad, but I didn't give up. I pushed away the pain, and decided to focus on my training. A year later, I made captain, and received my Centaur mask. I lost track of Claude, so I thought Akira had managed to drag him down. Three years later, I found out Claude and Akira made captain, and it made hope blossom inside me. I found out that Akira still didn't have Claude wrapped around her finger, and I took it as a sign to try again. Ever since, I've slowly gotten closer to confessing…And last night…I finally did it! And that wasn't the best part! After I said what I've been trying to tell him…HE confessed…TO ME!"

Katsumi began to swoon, and Hinata had to catch her. When Katsumi finally regained control over herself, she returned to healing Claude. It was then that the two girls noticed a blush on his face. Hinata recalled a similar event in Naruto's house a good time ago, and she knew that Claude had been listening in the whole time. As she looked at Katsumi, she noticed that the ANBU captain had come to the same conclusion, based on the SUPER deep blush that covered her face. Hinata knew that now would be the best time for her to leave, so she stood up and walked over to Naruto. She scooped up his body (thankful that he at least had slept through the whole conversation), and turned to leave. She stopped a second later and turned back.

"I forgot to ask," Hinata said over her shoulder. "Can you please tell me your name?"

"Sure…My name is Katsumi…Katsumi Misaki." She smiled at the young girl. "It's good to finally talk to someone. What's your name?"

"Call me Hinata," The Hyuuga called back. "I have a feeling we'll see each other again soon."

"If these two are related," Katsumi said calmly. "Then I guarantee wee will meet again."

The two girls smiled at each other, and Hinata shunshined away from the clearing. As the area became quiet, Katsumi became more aware of Claude's irregular breathing. She smiled, remembering that he had been awake for the whole talk with Hinata. She spoke softly, and sweetly.

"Claude, you don't have to fake it now." Katsumi said. "We're completely alone now."

"Fake what?" Claude asked as he got up. "I was trying to sleep, but found my girlfirend was crying so I just laid there, listening. Is that so wrong?"

"No," Katsumi said, and punched Claude in the arm lightly. "But you could've at least told me!"

"And not get the whole story?" Claude jokingly asked.

"Hmph!" Katsumi pouted. "Well…at least you're alive. I was half ready to unleash every single jutsu I know on Naruto if that Demon had killed you…Claude…promise me you won't do anything so reckless again. Please?"

Claude looked into Katsumi's eyes, and saw how worried she had truly been for Claude's life. To think, he had spent his entire life looking for someone to accept him, and she had been beside him almost the whole time! He felt butterflies in his stomach as he gave his reply.

"I won't Katsumi, I swear," Claude promised. "But if something should happen to you…Well all bets are off then!..Hehe…Katsumi…I think I'm actually in love."

Katsumi understood exactly what he was saying. She felt weightless at the moment. She nodded, and closed her eyes. Instinctively, she leaned in, and kissed Claude. He didn't pull back, he didn't make a sound. He just stayed there, and went with it.

The bluebirds in the trees began to sing, and somewhere in the distance, shops could be heard opening up. Even though the day had just started, the two ANBU captains had felt like it had gone by already. They stayed there for a few minutes, locked in each other's arms. Eventually, they both stood up, and walked back to town. Today was a beautiful day, but not as much as Katsumi, in Claude's opinion. They knew what they were going to do. The two captains were going to ask the Hokage if they could have the day off, and if so, the two of them would go to the resort outside of Konoha. With a plan set out, Claude and Katsumi left the clearing, and heading in the direction of the Hokage Tower…

I.I.I

Little did the two lovebirds know, was that Sarutobi had witnessed the whole fight and aftermath with his scrying jutsu. He had been following Claude since the young ANBU had left the outer wall. He had know of their request ahead of time, and already had the papers filled out. He even went the extra mile and had sent a messenger to the resort, telling them to expect two ANBU to arrive within a few hours, and he paid for anything that the couple wanted.

In his head, Sarutobi felt absolutely terrible for making Claude attack Shikamaru. He knew that doing this for Claude and Katsumi wouldn't repair things, but it could at least put them back on talking terms. It wouldn't be right, to have one of the children you raised hate you. And with what happened, Sarutobi figured he had about two of his children hating him right now.

On a different thought, Sarutbo hadn't realized that Claude and Katsumi knew each other. He had seen them talking before, but he figured that the two had met after becoming captains. Knowing what he did now, the Old Man was certain that Claude would request a change in copilot for his gunman. It came as no surprise when Claude walked in through the side door from the roof, and began to ask for the day off, and the pilot change. Sarutobi had simply smiled, handed him the paperwork, and began to smoke his pipe.

"Claude, I know that what I did can't be forgiven easily," Sarutobi began before the two captains had time to leave. "But I'd like to apologize for my hasty decisions. You've been like a son to me, both you and Naruto. Making you both go through that…it was completely inconsiderate and asinine of me."

"Hokage-sama," Claude said back, smiling as he approached the door. "You have no need to apologize. You were doing what you thought was right, and I had supported you. We have no one to blame for how things turned out. Besides, it's already happened, so why dwell on it? What's done is done. There is nothing we can do to change the past. Our best move is to just continue like it never happened, and see where out futures take us."

Sarutobi nodded. What Claude said made sense. The Old Man smiled inwardly as he recalled a similar speech that had been made not ten minutes ago.

"Claude, you and your brother are more like your father than the two of you know." the old Hokage said. "He would make inspirational speeches all the time, and rally his friends and fellow ninja towards a common goal. I was said that whenever he gave a speech, that the rallying shouts of the town could be heard for miles. Both you and Naruto seem to have almost the same effect."

"Naruto was here earlier?" Katsumi asked from beside Claude.

"Yes, he was," Sarutobi replied. "He came by with Hinata asking for the day off, like you two. I gave him permission, and told them of a resort a ways out of town. I believe that you two know of the one I'm talking about?"

Seeing their surprised faces, Sarutobi took a puff on his pipe, and smiled. He dismissed them, and felt his head sag with exhaustion. After last night, he had failed to sleep, and had spent the late hours filling out paperwork that he had not finished from the previous day. Now that he had a few minutes to rest, and his head was not worrying about the two children of Minato, he felt his eyes droop. He let sleep fall over him, and was out like a light…

I.I.I Author's Notes I.I.I

Well, tonight was my last free night. I'm glad I was able to finish another chapter before break ended. I hope you've enjoyed my story so far, it takes so much out of me to make even a short chapter. I'd like to thank some of my more…interesting fans, like Wafflez, who keep me inspired to continue the Uzumaki Brigade. I'd also like to give a shout out to my closest friend Gajeel-Rocks, as she has been beside me since the creation of this story. And to my other friend, Akira, who has most likely driven me insane, and allowed that to transfer over to my story. Hopefully, she won't castrate me when I see her again (long story).

But I'd still like to thank everyone that has read this far into The Uzumaki Brigade. It's you guys that provide the best things that go into this story…like Steve. It's done me good to know that there are some people who know a decent story when they see one. (I'm not bragging, I'm just talking about Naruto and Gurren Lagann!)

I hope you all enjoy this story, and I will try to speed up the posting process. Until then, keep reading, and if you have ideas, let me know! I love it when fans tell me what they think could help with the story.

Later!


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